Article
Revealing the Mechanism of Esculin in Treating Renal Cell Carcinoma Based on Network Pharmacology and
Experimental Validation
Zixuan Chen¹,+D,Cunzhou Wang²,+,YuesongCai³,An Xu¹,Chengtao Han¹,Yanjun Tong⁴,Sheng Cheng5,*D
and Min Liu1,+
Abstract:Purpose:This study aims to explore the potential mechanisms of esculin in the treatmentof renal cell carcinoma(RCC).Methods:We employed network pharmacology to predict the potential mechanisms and targets of esculin in RCC.Molecular docking techniques were then employed to validate the predicted targets.Additionally,a series of in vitro experiments wereconducted to verify the anticancer effects of esculin on RCC cells,including the CCK-8 assay,EdU assay,wound healing assay,apoptosis assay,and Western blot.Results:Network pharmacology and molecular docking results identified GAPDH,TNF,GSK3B,CCND1,MCL1,IL2,and CDK2 as core targets. GO and KEGG analyses suggested that esculin may influence apoptotic processes and target the PI3K/Akt pathway in RCC.Furthermore,the CCK-8 assay demonstrated that esculin inhibited RCC cell viability.Microscopic observations revealed that following esculin treatment,there was an increase in cell crumpling,a reduction in cell density,and an accumulation of floating dead cells. Additionally,with increasing esculin concentrations,the proportion of EdU-positive cells decreased, the wound closure ratio decreased,the proportion ofPI-positive cells increased,the expression levels of BAX and cleaved-caspase-3 proteins increased,and the expression level of Bcl2 protein decreased. These findings suggested that esculin inhibits the proliferation and migration of RCC cells while promoting apoptosis.Moreover,esculin was found to target GAPDH and inhibit the PI3K/Akt pathway.Conclusions:This study is the first to elucidate the therapeutic effects of esculin on RCC cells.The results provide evidence supporting the clinical application ofesculin and introduce a promising new candidate for RCC treatment.
Keywords: renal cell carcinoma;esculin;natural products;network pharmacology;PI3K/Akt pathway