Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 9, 2026

Complete and Partial Aortic Occlusion for the Treatment of Hemorrhagic Shock in Swine
Published on: August 24, 2018
Molecular and therapeutic potential and toxicity of valproic acid
Sébastien Chateauvieux1, Franck Morceau, Mario Dicato
1Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire du Cancer (LBMCC), Fondation de Recherche Cancer et Sang, Hôpital Kirchberg, Kirchberg 2540, Luxembourg.
Abstract:
Valproic acid (VPA), a branched short-chain fatty acid, is widely used as an antiepileptic drug and a mood stabilizer. Antiepileptic properties have been attributed to inhibition of Gamma Amino Butyrate (GABA) transaminobutyrate and of ion channels. VPA was recently classified among the Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors, acting directly at the level of gene transcription by inhibiting histone deacetylation and making transcription sites more accessible. VPA is a widely used drug, particularly for children suffering from epilepsy. Due to the increasing number of clinical trials involving VPA, and interesting results obtained, this molecule will be implicated in an increasing number of therapies. However side effects of VPA are substantially described in the literature whereas they are poorly discussed in articles focusing on its therapeutic use. This paper aims to give an overview of the different clinical-trials involving VPA and its side effects encountered during treatment as well as its molecular properties.
Related Concept Videos
Antiepileptic Drugs: Modulators of Neurotransmitter Release Mediated by SV2A Protein
SV2A is a transmembrane glycoprotein located predominantly in the brain, modulating the release of neurotransmitters for neuronal communication. Both levetiracetam and brivaracetam exhibit a high affinity for...
Drug Toxicity: Overview
Antiepileptic Drugs: GABAergic Pathway Potentiators
The key GABA pathway potentiators used in epilepsy management are as follows.
Benzodiazepines are a well-known class of drugs used for their...
Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics: Bioavailability and Protein-Drug Binding
To quantify the extent of bioavailability, pharmacologists often use a parameter called .
Drug Toxicity: Risk factors
Bioactivation and Tissue Toxicity