Investigating the Potential Mechanism of Huazhi Rougan Granules against Alcoholic Liver Disease by Network Pharmacology and Experiment

Abstract

Huazhi Rougan granules (HRGs) are a promising drug to improve alcoholic liver disease (ALD), but its mechanism remains unclear. Network pharmacology, molecular docking, and animal experiments were used to reveal the potential mechanism of HRG against ALD. A total of 245 potential targets of HRG against ALD were obtained. Functional enrichment analysis suggests that HRG could synergistically regulate various biological pathways to exert therapeutic effects on ALD. Molecular docking showed that the key targets exhibited the good binding ability with the key compounds. The in vivo experiments showed that HRG can effectively alleviate pathological changes in liver tissue, improve blood lipid levels, antioxidant stress ability, and liver function, and reduce the release of inflammatory cytokines in the liver. This study reflects that HRG is an effective strategy for treating ALD, providing a basis for revealing the prevention and treatment mechanisms of ALD.