Suppression of ZEB1 by Ethyl caffeate attenuates renal fibrosis via switching glycolytic reprogramming

Renal fibrosis (RF) is a common endpoint of various chronic kidney diseases, leading to functional impairment and ultimately progressing to end-stage renal failure. Glycolytic reprogramming plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of fibrosis, which maybe a potential therapeutic target for treating renal fibrosis. Here, we revealed the novel role of ZEB1 in renal fibrosis, and whether targeting ZEB1 is the underlying mechanism for the anti-fibrotic effects of ethyl caffeate (EC) to regulate the glycolytic process. Treatment of EC attenuated the renal fibrosis and inhibited ZEB1 expression in vivo and in vitro, reducing the upregulated expression of glycolytic enzymes (HK2, PKM2, PFKP) and key metabolites (lactic acid, pyruvate). ZEB1 overexpression promoted the renal fibrosis and glycolysis, whereas knockout of ZEB1 apparently attenuated renal fibrosis in vivo and in vitro. EC interacted with ZEB1 to modulate the glycolytic enzymes for suppressing the elevated glycolytic reprogramming during renal fibrosis. In summary, our study reveals that ZEB1 plays an important role in regulating glycolytic reprogramming during the renal tubular epithelial cell fibrosis, suggesting inhibition of ZEB1 may be a potential strategy for treating renal fibrosis. Additionally, EC is a potential new drug candidate for the treatment of renal fibrosis and CKD.