Network pharmacology and Mendelian randomization analysis of Xiao Bi decoction in treating psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease marked by excessive keratinocyte growth and immune issues. Xiao Bi decoction (XBT), a traditional Chinese formula, has shown effective for treating psoriasis. This study integrated network pharmacology and Mendelian randomization analysis to explore the therapeutic mechanism of XBT and validate causal relationships between its active components, potential targets, and psoriasis outcomes. The results showed that XBT contains 171 active components, of which the top 5 active components with the highest degree values were quercetin, dihydrobaicalin _qt, Pyrethrin II, Kinobeon A, and Baicalein; the main core targets of XBT were tumor necrosis factor, interleukin (IL)-6, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, AKT1, and IL-1B. These core components and core targets can be better molecular docking, and Mendelian randomization analysis showed that there is a causal relationship between the reduced level of IL-6 and the increased risk of psoriasis. These results provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms and scientific validation of XBT's use in psoriasis.