Valproic Acid Causes Extensive Cell Detachment and Death in Differentiated Sh-SY5Y Cell Cultures: An In Vitro Observation

Introduction Valproic acid (VA) has been a widely used drug in the management of epilepsy, migraine headaches, and bipolar disorder for many decades. Recently, the drug has been tested in various types of malignancy, showing promising results. Despite its well-established effectiveness, there are certain safety concerns that should be taken into consideration. VA has been classified as teratogenic and should be avoided during pregnancy. Methods This study was designed in order to present the effects of valproate on differentiated SH-SY5Y cell cultures and their concentration dependency. SH-SY5Y cells were differentiated into a mature neuron-like phenotype and then treated with VA at either 1 mM or 10 mM. Morphological criteria were compared between treated and untreated cells, serving as a control for identification. Results It was observed that VA consistently induces extensive detachment of the adherent cells and cell death. At a concentration of 1 mM, a 44,0% reduction of adherent cells was observed, while at a concentration of 10 mM, the reduction was 95.9%. Conclusion VA causes extensive cell detachment and death in differentiated SH-SY5Y cell cultures. There is a paucity of studies on these effects, which underlines the importance of further and more extensive research on this matter.