Inhibiting HDAC1 Enhances the Anti-Cancer Effects of Statins through Downregulation of GGTase-Iβ Expression

Hydroxy-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, namely statins, are potential anti-tumor agents. Previously, we showed that a pan-histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor enhances the anti-tumor effects of the HMG-CoA inhibitor. However, the underlying mechanisms were not fully understood. Cancer cell lines (CAL-27 and SACC-83) were exposed to pan-HDAC inhibitor, or HDAC1 inhibitor, or geranylgeranyl transferase type I (GGTase-I) inhibitor alone or in combination with statin. Cell viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were assessed by Cell Count Kit-8, 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining, and transwell assay, respectively. A xenograft model was used for assessing tumor growth in vivo. Western blot and real-time PCR were used to assess the expression of genes. We observed that inhibiting HDAC1 could enhance the anti-tumor effects of statins both in vitro and in vivo. Inhibiting HDAC1 blocked the statin-induced upregulation of geranylgeranyl transferase type Iβ subunit (GGTase-Iβ), resulting in an enhancement of the anti-cancer effects of statin. Overexpression of GGTase-Iβ or constitutively active RhoA abolished the enhancement by inhibiting HDAC1 on anti-tumor effects of statins. The HDAC1 inhibitor failed to enhance cytotoxicity in non-tumor primary cells treated with statin. Inhibiting HDAC1 enhanced the anti-cancer effects of statins through downregulation of GGTase-Iβ expression, and thus further inactivation of RhoA. A combination of statin with HDAC1 or GGTase-I inhibitor would be a new strategy for cancer chemotherapy.