Sodium butyrate increases expression of the coxsackie and adenovirus receptor in colon cancer cells.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACI), e.g., sodium butyrate (NaB), have been suggested to upregulate the coxsackie and adenovirus receptor (CAR). Its impact on CAR in colon carcinomas, however, is poorly understood. NaB treatment of colon cancer cells increased CAR expression preferentially in cell lines with low basic CAR levels. These findings suggest that downregulation of CAR gene expression is mediated by transcriptional regulation and that activation of the CAR gene promoter is modulated by histone acetylation. The employment of HDACI may, therefore, represent a promising approach for improving adenovirus-based therapies of colon cancers with low CAR expression levels.