Histone deacetylase inhibitor suppression of autoantibody-mediated arthritis in mice via regulation of p16INK4a and p21(WAF1/Cip1) expression.

Objective: To examine whether depsipeptide (FK228), a histone deacetylase (HDA) inhibitor, has inhibitory effects on the proliferation of synovial fibroblasts from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, and to examine the effects of systemic administration of FK228 in an animal model of arthritis.

Methods: Autoantibody-mediated arthritis (AMA) was induced in 19 male DBA/1 mice (6-7 weeks old); 10 of them were treated by intravenous administration of FK228 (2.5 mg/kg), and 9 were used as controls.