Valproic acid

• Description:

  Valproic acid (VPA) is an orally active HDAC inhibitor, with IC50 in the range of 0.5 and 2 mM. Valproic acid inhibits HDAC1 (IC50, 400 μM), and induces proteasomal degradation of HDAC2. Valproic acid activates Notch1 signaling and inhibits proliferation in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells. Valproic acid is used in the epilepsy, bipolar disorder, metabolic disease, HIV infection and prevention of migraine headaches[1][2][3][4][5][6][7].

• Product Name Alternative:

  VPA; 2-Propylpentanoic acid; Dipropylacetic acid

• UNSPSC:

  12352211

• Hazard Statement:

  H302, H315, H319, H360

• Target:

  Apoptosis; Autophagy; Endogenous Metabolite; HDAC; HIV; Mitophagy; Notch; Organoid

• Type:

  Reference compound

• Related Pathways:

  Anti-infection; Apoptosis; Autophagy; Cell Cycle/DNA Damage; Epigenetics; Metabolic Enzyme/Protease; Neuronal Signaling; Stem Cell/Wnt

• Applications:

  Cancer-Kinase/protease

• Field of Research:

  Cancer; Infection; Metabolic Disease; Neurological Disease

• Assay Protocol:

  https://www.medchemexpress.com/valproic-acid.html

• Purity:

  99.72

• Solubility:

  0.1 M NaOH : 50 mg/mL (ultrasonic) |DMSO : 100 mg/mL (ultrasonic) |H2O : 2.5 mg/mL (ultrasonic; warming; heat to 60°C)

• Smiles:

  CCCC(CCC)C(O)=O

• Molecular Formula:

  C8H16O2

• Molecular Weight:

  144.21

• Precautions:

  H302, H315, H319, H360

• References & Citations:

  [1]Han BR, et al. Valproic acid inhibits the growth of HeLa cervical cancer cells via caspase-dependent apoptosis. Oncol Rep. 2013 Dec;30 (6) :2999-3005.|[2]Zhang ZH, et al. Valproic acid inhibits tumor angiogenesis in mice transplanted with Kasumi 1 leukemia cells. Mol Med Rep. 2013 Nov 28.|[3]Cohen OS, et al. Acute prenatal exposure to a moderate dose of valproic acid increases social behavior and alters gene expression in rats. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2013 Dec;31 (8) :740-50.|[4]Avery LB, et al. Valproic Acid Is a Novel Activator of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase and Decreases Liver Mass, Hepatic Fat Accumulation, and Serum Glucose in Obese Mice. Mol Pharmacol. 2014 Jan;85 (1) :1-10.|[5]Valproic acid, et al. Histone deacetylase is a direct target of valproic acid, a potent anticonvulsant, mood stabilizer, and teratogen. J Biol Chem. 2001 Sep 28;276 (39) :36734-41.|[6]Platta CS, et al. Valproic acid induces Notch1 signaling in small cell lung cancer cells. J Surg Res. 2008 Jul;148 (1) :31-7.|[7]Routy JP, et al. Valproic acid in association with highly active antiretroviral therapy for reducing systemic HIV-1 reservoirs: results from a multicentre randomized clinical study. HIV Med. 2012 May;13 (5) :291-6.

• Shipping Conditions:

  Room Temperature

• Storage Conditions:

  Store at room temperature 3 years

• Scientific Category:

  Reference compound1

• Clinical Information:

  Launched

• Isoform:

  HDAC; HDAC1; HDAC2

• Citation 01:

  Acta Pharm Sin B. 2025 Oct 24.|Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2024 Nov;45 (11) :2290-2299.|Autophagy. 2025 Oct 16.|Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2023 Jan 22:641:168-176.|Biochim Biophys Acta Gene Regul Mech. 2020 Sep;1863 (9) :194597.|Biomaterials. 2018 Dec 6;193:30-46.|bioRxiv. 2023 Apr 21:2023.04.19.537556.|Biotechnol Bioeng. 2021 Dec;118 (12) :4687-4698.|Brain Science Advances. 2022 Feb.|Cell Death Differ. 2023 Jul;30 (7) :1811-1828.|Cell Signal. 2025 Jun 17:111946.|EMBO J. 2021 Jun 1;40 (11) :e106771.|Eur J Pharmacol. 2025 Sep 15:1003:177942.|FEBS Open Bio. 2024 Jun;14 (6) :983-1000.|Genes (Basel) . 2024 Sep 13;15 (9) :1206.|Genomics. 2024 May;116 (3) :110838.|Inflammation. 2025 Jun 30.|J Agric Food Chem. 2024 Nov 6;72 (44) :24400-24416.|J Biol Chem. 2023 Mar;299 (3) :102971.|J Ethnopharmacol. 2023 May 23:308:116258.|J Ethnopharmacol. 2024 Aug 16:118697.|J Integr Med. 2024 Nov;22 (6) :683-695.|J Nanobiotechnology. 2025 Oct 14;23 (1) :670.|J Neuroinflammation. 2025 Nov 26;22 (1) :280.|J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2025 Oct 31;393 (1) :103767.|J Virol. 2024 Nov 12:e0121624.|Lett Drug Des Discover. 2019 Nov.|Life Sci. 2023 Sep 1:328:121921.|Mil Med Res. 2020 Nov 1;7 (1) :52.|Mil Med Res. 2020 Sep 6;7 (1) :42.|Nat Commun. 2024 Sep 19;15 (1) :8221.|Oncogene. 2021 Apr;40 (15) :2711-2724.|Phytomedicine. 2022 Nov:106:154403.|Phytomedicine. 2025 Jun:141:156707.|Research Square Preprint. 2022 Jan.|Research Square Preprint. 2022 Jul.|Sci Adv. 2021 Aug 11;7 (33) :eabf4416.|Sci Rep. 2020 Sep 16;10 (1) :15201.|Sci Total Environ. 2021 Aug 20:783:147014.|Sci Total Environ. 2023 Dec 10:903:166505.|Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2024 Jan 22;9 (1) :24.|STAR Protoc. 2022 Aug 18;3 (3) :101638.|Stem Cell Res Ther. 2025 Oct 8;16 (1) :547.|Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2025 Nov:504:117536.|Transl Psychiatry. 2025 Oct 24;15 (1) :428.|Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2021 Mar;42 (3) :470-481.|Adv Sci (Weinh) . 2024 Feb;11 (7) :e2305620.|BMC Cancer. 2022 Aug 8;22 (1) :864.|Clin Dev Immunol. 2020 Aug 4;2020:4384696.|Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2022 Aug:241:113752.|Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2025 Jun 2;66 (6) :25.|J Genet Genomics. 2024 Mar;51 (3) :338-351.|J Interferon Cytokine Res. 2021 Dec;41 (12) :439-449.|Res Sq. 2025 May 15.|Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2024 Oct 30;9 (1) :294.|Theranostics. 2025 Apr 9;15 (11) :5153-5171. |Toxicol Lett. 2021 Aug 1:346:47-56.|Viruses. 2024 Apr 20;16 (4) :643.|World J Methodol. 2025 Jun 20;15 (2) :99580.

• CAS Number:

  [99-66-1]