Histone acetylation, DNA replicative synthesis, UV-induced DNA repair synthesis, and UV-induced endonuclease-sensitive sites were measured in normal human fibroblasts and xeroderma pigmentosum fibroblasts (complementation groups A, C, and D) following exposure to sodium butyrate. In all four cell types, treatment with millimolar concentrations of sodium butyrate resulted in a hyperacetylation of the core histones. Furthermore, following an exposure of 20 mM sodium butyrate for 48 h, the extent of hyperacetylation was the same in each cell type. In agreement with previous reports, we observed a marked decrease in DNA replicative synthesis in each cell type following increasing times of exposure to sodium butyrate. On the other hand, we observed a marked increase in DNA repair synthesis occurring during early times after UV irradiation in normal cells and in two of the xeroderma pigmentosum cell strains (groups C and D). This increase appeared to correlate with the increase in the highest acetylated form of histone H4. Furthermore, the total number of endonuclease-sensitive sites (i.e. prior to the onset of repair) induced by UV radiation was the same in both butyrated-treated and untreated normal cells over the dose range of 0-20 J/m2. However, the initial rate of removal of these sites increased in butyrate-treated normal cells. These results indicate that sodium butyrate stimulates the initial rate of nucleotide excision repair in both normal and (partially) repair-deficient human cells at concentrations where the histones are maximally hyperacetylated.