Study on the Inhibitory Effects of Esculentoside A on Cervical Cancer Through PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway In Vitro and In Vivo Experiments

The present study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect and the molecular mechanism of Esculentoside A on human cervical cancer. The proliferation inhibition of Hela cells were detected by MTT assay, and its apoptosis rate was measured through Annexin/PI double labelling method. Subsequently, the cell cycle distribution was analyzed by flow cytometry, and the dynamic changes of protein expressions of PI3K, AKT, mTOR and P70(s6k) in Hela cells and in tumor lysates were measured by Western blot assay. The proliferation of Hela cells in vitro was significantly inhibited by Esculentoside A, leading to the changes of cell cycle distribution, in which the cells were blocked at the S phase. Simultaneously, the drug also significantly decreased the protein expressions of PI3K, AKT, mTOR, and P70(s6k) in the cells and tumor lystates. The Tunel cell apoptosis situ detection in vivo showed that the drug could induce the apoptosis of tumor cells in cervical cancer. The protein expressions of PI3K, AKT, mTOR and P70(s6k) in transplanted tumor tissues were decreased as similar as the result of drug treatment in vitro. Esculentoside A treatment oriented at the signaling pathway is expected to be a new approach to treating cervical cancer.