Background:

Vorinostat (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, SAHA) is a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), that plays key roles in epigenetic or non-epigenetic regulation, inducing growth arrest, differentiation and apoptosis of tumor cells.^[1]Vorinostat is a small molecular with the formular of C₁₄H₂₀N₂O₃and molecular weight of 264.3. The major mechanism of HDACi-induced apoptosis is the activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. HDACi can activate the intrinsic apoptotic pathway by releasing of cytochrome c from mitochondria and regulating of Bcl-2 family expression.^[2]

Reference

[1] Hui-ming Z, Qian-hai D, Wei-ping C, Ru-bin L. Vorinostat, a HDAC inhibitor, showed anti-osteoarthritic activities through inhibition of iNOS and MMP expression, p38 and ERK phosphorylation and blocking NF-kB nuclear translocation. International Immunopharmacology. 2013,17. 329-335.

[2] Norihisa U, Sayaka K, Hisanori M, Katsuhiko Y, Airo T. Requirement of p38 MAPK for a cell-death pathway triggered by vorinostat in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. Cancer Letters. 2012,315. 112-121.