Patent ID: 8420698

Claim:
A method of inhibiting histone deacetylase in cells comprising contacting the cells with an effective amount of a compound of formula (I): wherein A is phenyl optionally substituted with alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkoxy, hydroxyl, hydroxylalkyl, halo, haloalkyl, or amino; each of Y 1 and Y 2 , independently, is —CH 2 —, or a bond; L is a straight C 4-8 hydrocarbon chain optionally containing at least one double bond, at least one triple bond, or at least one double bond and one triple bond; said hydrocarbon chain being substituted with C 1-4 alkyl, C 2-4 alkenyl, C 2-4 alkynyl, C 1-4 alkoxy, hydroxyl, halo, amino, nitro, cyano, C 3-5 cycloalkyl, 3-5 membered heterocycloalkyl, monocyclic aryl, 5-6 membered heteroaryl, C 1-4 alkylcarbonyloxy, C 1-4 alkyloxycarbonyl, C 1-4 alkylcarbonyl, or formyl; X 1 is O; and X 2 is —OR 1 ; where R 1 is hydrogen, alkyl, hydroxylalkyl, or haloalkyl; and provided that when L is a C 2-3 hydrocarbon containing no double bonds and X 2 is —OR 1 , Y 1 is not a bond and Y 2 is not a bond; or a salt thereof; and determining whether the level of acetylated histones in the treated cells is higher than in untreated cells under the same conditions.