Phenylbutyrate inhibits growth of cervical carcinoma cells independent of HPV type and copy number

Purpose Inhibitors of histone deacetylase, such as sodium butyrate, block proliferation of cervical carcinoma cells by inhibiting the G1 to S transition of the cell cycle. The derivative phenylbutyrate (PB), characterized by its higher pharmacological half-life, and its metabolite phenylacetate (PA) were tested for their growth-inhibitory function on cervical cancer cells differing in their HPV type, copy number, and integration sites.