Analysis of 'Component-Target-Pathway' and Mining of Potential Biomarkers for Yinchenhao Decoction Combined with Lamivudine in the Treatment of Alcoholic Liver Disease and Its Derived Disorders

Abstract

: This study aimed to investigate the potential common targets, core active ingredients, and key signaling pathways of Yinchenhao Decoction combined with Lamivudine in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) using network pharmacology and molecular docking, providing a theoretical basis for this integrative therapy. Active ingredients of Yinchenhao Decoction and Lamivudine targets were screened from the TCMSP and ChEMBL databases, while ALD-related targets were obtained from GeneCards, TTD, and DrugBank. Common targets were identified via Venny analysis, and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using STRING and Cytoscape. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed with Metascape, and molecular docking was conducted using CB-Dock2. A total of 44 active compounds, 331 drug targets, and 1022 ALD targets were surveyed, yielding 44 overlapping targets. GO analysis indicated involvement in hormone response and nuclear receptor activity, while KEGG enrichment highlighted the "Chemical carcinogenesis–receptor activation" pathway. Molecular docking showed that aloe-emodin had the strongest binding affinity with IL-6 (–9.7), followed by lamivudine (–6.4), quercetin (–6.2), and kaempferol (–6.1). In conclusion, Yinchenhao Decoction combined with Lamivudine may treat ALD through multiple components acting on multiple targets and pathways, primarily via IL-6-driven inflammation control and nuclear receptor modulation, and IL-6 appears to be a useful biomarker for monitoring ALD progression under this combined therapy.