Exploring the mechanism of XieBai San in treating liver injury based on network pharmacology and experimental verification

Abstract

The XieBai San (XBS) formula contains SangbaiPi (Cortex Mori), Digupi (Cortex Lycii), and Gancao (Radix Glycyrrhizae). Some studies have shown that XBS exerts a healing impact on liver damage. However, the specific active components and the underlying mechanism are still not fully understood. To explore this phenomenon, we administered a 0.2% CCl4 oil solution to mice to elicit acute liver damage, and then XBS was given by gavage to mice. The results indicated that XBS exhibited a beneficial impact on liver injury. TCMSP, PubChem, SwissTargetPrediction, and GeneCards and DisGeNET databases were used to screen the active components of Cortex Mori, Cortex Lycii, and Radix Glycyrrhizae in XBS and their therapeutic targets for liver injury. Venn diagrams was utilized to identify the intersecting genes and the STRING database to explore protein-protein interactions. PPI networks and drug-component-target networks were constructed through Cytoscape software. Additionally, GO and KEGG enrichment studies were performed utilizing the DAVID platform. Subsequently, molecular docking validation was carried out using AutoDockTools version 1.5.6. The main active components of XBS were quercetin, jaranol, isorhamnetin, sitosterol, and kaempferol. The key targets were AKT1, EGFR, ESR1, PIK3CA, and PIK3R1. The predicted key targets were involved in positive regulation of peptide-bound serine phosphorylation and other biological processes that can restore liver function, anti-inflammatory response, and antioxidant stress to treat liver injury. XBS exerts its therapeutic effect on liver injury through multiple targets and mechanisms.