Research Area: Neurological Disease
Biological Activity:
Valproic acid sodium salt (Sodium valproate) is a histone deacetylase inhibitor with an IC50 of 0.4 mM and exhibits anticancer, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Sodium valproate (VPA) can inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells by inducing G0/G1 phase arrest and cell apoptosis. It displays anticonvulsive activity via an increase in GABA levels and decreases Aβ production in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease. It also attenuates NMDA-mediated excitation, blocks voltage-gated Na+ channels and modulates firing of neurons. It enables induction of pluripotent stem cells from somatic cells by Oct4 and Sox2. [1][2][3]References on Valproic acid sodium salt (Sodium valproate)[3] J. Exp. Med, 2008, 205:2781-2789