Class of HDAC Inhibitors Expands the Renal Progenitor Cells Population and Improves the Rate of Recovery from Acute Kidney Injury

A method of treating kidney injury in a patient, improving kidney function in a patient, stimulating kidney repair in a patient, inhibiting histone deacetylase in a cell, and/or expanding renal progenitor cells in a patient comprising administering to a patient an amount of a compound having the formula:

• in which
• R is O, S, S(O), S(O)2, P(O)(CH3), or P(O)(OCH3),
• R1 is methoxy or —NHR4 where R4 is OH, aminophenyl, hydroxyphenyl, hydroxypyridinyl, aminopyridinyl, alkyl hydroxypyridinyl, or haloalkyl hydroxyphenyl,
• R2 is phenyl, benzyl, 4-methoxybenzyl, phenylethyl, substituted phenyl having the structure
• where R5 is 3-hydroxyl, methylthio, methylsulfonyl, methylsulfinyl, acetyl, 2-acetato, 3-acetato, carbamoyl, methyl carbamoyl, or methoxycarbonyl and
• R3 is —CH2—CH2—CH2—, —CH2—CH2—CH2—CH2—, or —CH2—CH2—CH2—CH2—CH2—, wherein
• when R is S(O), S(O)2, R2 is benzyl, phenylethyl, or methylsulfonylphenyl;
• and
• when R is S, either
• (a) R1 is —NHR4 where R4 is hydroxypyridinyl, aminopyridinyl, alkyl hydroxypyridinyl, or haloalkyl hydroxyphenyl;
• (b) R1 is NHR4 where R4 is hydroxyphenyl or aminophenyl, and R2 is
• where R5 is 4-acetato;
• or
• (c) R2 is benzyl, phenylethyl, 4-methoxybenzyl,
• where R5 is 3-hydroxyl, acetyl;
• 2-acetato, 3-acetato, carbamoyl, methyl carbamoyl, or methoxycarbonyl, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, effective to treat kidney injury or to improve kidney function in a patient.