摘要OBJECTIVE:To elucidate the therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of action of Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiang decoction(柴胡桂枝干姜汤,CGGD)in autoimmune hepatitis.METHODS:CGGD components and potential target genes were extracted from previously published databases.The autoimmune hepatitis(AIH)-related regulatory genes were obtained from the DisGeNET database.Intersections were taken,and enrichment analyses were performed on the extracted data.Concanavalin A(ConA)-induced AIH model mice were treated with CGGD via gavage.The results of network pharmacological analysis were experimentally validated.RESULTS:Network pharmacology revealed 228 genes at the intersection of AIH and CGGD.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed that CGGD primarily regulates the phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(AKT)signaling pathway and cellular metabolism in AIH.Gene Ontology enrichment analysis revealed that CGGD modulates inflammation through transcription factor-mediated signaling pathways.As predicted,CGGD attenuated ConA-induced AIH in a dose-dependent manner by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.Histopathological assessment confirmed the protective effects of CGGD against ConA-induced AIH.Further investigation revealed that CGGD regulated the T helper cell 17(Th17)/regulatory T cell(Treg)balance by modulating the PI3K/Akt/nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)pathway.CONCLUSIONS:This study demonstrated the therapeutic effect of CGGD on AIH through a combination of network pharmacological prediction and experimental validation.Its mechanism of action involves PI3K/Akt/NF-κB-mediated regulation of Th17/Treg cells.