Many histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are well recognized as potential anti-cancer drugs. Inhibition of HDACs induces temporal transcription or epigenetic control, thus regulating many different biological responses. Here, we investigated the osteogenic effect of the HDAC inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA; vorinostat).

The effects of SAHA on osteoblast differentiation were examined in the 6XOSE-Luc reporter assay for determination of runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) activity and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and in an immunoprecipitation assay to determine the Runx2 acetylation state. The osteogenic activity of SAHA in vivo was studied in and receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoporotic mouse model.

SAHA increased the transcriptional activity of Runx2 in a dose-dependent manner in the 6XOSE-Luc reporter assay. SAHA by itself was unable to induce ALP activity; however, SAHA enhanced ALP activity induced by bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). The degree of acetylation of Runx2 was increased with SAHA treatment, which suggests that the increase in Runx2 transcriptional activity might be dependent on stabilization by acetylation. Also, SAHA successfully reversed soluble RANKL-induced osteoporotic bone loss.

Our study shows an intriguing osteogenic potential of SAHA in a BMP-2-dependent manner and suggests that SAHA could be used at lower doses along with BMP-2 to treat osteoporosis.