ABSTRACT
Objective To examine the anticancer effect of a novel histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), JZ004, on colon cancer cells HCT-8 and HT-29, and to investigate the molecular mechanisms of proliferation inhibition and apoptosis induction of cancer cells treated by JZ 004.Methods Colon cancer cells were treated with a series of concentrations of JZ004 .MTT assay was used to detect the proliferation of cancer cells .The cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were deter-mined by flow cytometry .Rhodamine 123 and DCFH-DA were applied to detect the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and reactive oxygen species ( ROS) production.The protein expressions of acetyl-histone H3, p21, cyclin-dependent kinase(CDK)4, Bcl-2, Mcl-1 and Bax were assayed by Western blotting .Results JZ004 was found to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of colon cancer cells in a time-and dose-dependent manner , accompanied by a dose-dependent hyperacetylation of histone H3.JZ004 induced the cancer cell arrest in G 0/G1 phase by increasing the expres-sion level of p21 while CDK4 was downregulated .JZ004 also increased cellular ROS production and reduced ΔΨm by regu-lating the expressions of Bcl-2 family proteins .Conclusion As a novel HDACi , JZ004 effectively inhibits proliferation and increases ROS production to induce apoptosis of colon cancer cells .The results indicate that JZ004 is a potential compound to be developed as an anti-colon cancer agent for clinic application .