Comparison of Anticancer Effects of Carbamazepine and Valproic Acid

Valproic acid (VPA) and carbamazepine (CBZ), two widely used antiepileptic drugs, have recently been found to inhibit histone deacetylases (HDAC). HDAC inhibitors (HDACIs) have various effects on cancer cells.

The aim of this study was to compare the anticancer activity of these drugs on SW480 colon cancer cell lines.

In the present experimental study, implemented during 2014 - 2015 in Iran, after incubation of cells into 96-well plates with 5,500 cells/well, the tested drugs were added, and cytotoxic effects were assessed by MTT. Moreover, after incubation of 8×10⁶ cells in 75 cm² flasks to obtain β-catenin levels and 10⁶ cells in a six-well plate to obtain vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels , these levels were estimated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis.

Through MTT assay, we found that the inhibitory concentration of 50% (IC50) values for VPA and CBZ were 2.5 mM and 5 μM, respectively in comparison to controls in terms of total concentration and times evaluated (P < 0.0001). We also found that treatments with these drugs decreased levels of β-catenin (P < 0.0001) and VEGF (P < 0.0001) significantly more than controls.

VPA and CBZ treatments caused a decrease in β-Catenin and VEGF levels in SW480 colon cancer cell lines. These results suggest that CBZ can be considered a potential antitumor drug with potencies different from VPA.