Objective To explore the mechanisms of "treating different diseases with the same method" for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) with Shenling Baizhu San based on network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Methods Comprehensive databases were searched to collect the active ingredients and targets of Shenling Baizhu San, which were then performed standardized process. Relevant targets for COPD and DM were collected from data platforms such as GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM). The intersection targets of the drug and diseases were identified using Venn software, imported into the STRING database to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and performed visualized analysis using Cytoscape software. Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed using R software. Molecular docking and visualization analysis were conducted using the CB-Dock2 platform.

Results After screening, 215 potential targets of Shenling Baizhu San were obtained. Venn diagram analysis showed that there were 70 potential intersection targets for the treatment of COPD and DM with Shenling Baizhu San. Key active ingredients included quercetin, stigmasterol, kaempferol, sitosterol, and luteolin, while core targets included tumor necrosis factor(TNF), interleukin-6(IL-6), interleukin-β(IL-1β), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2), and tumor protein p53 (TP53). GO functional enrichment analysis yielded 2, 599 biological process terms, 49 cellular component terms, and 230 molecular function terms. The main pathways obtained from KEGG pathway enrichment analysis included lipid and atherosclerosis, interleukin-17 (IL-17) signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, and human cytomegalovirus infection. Molecular docking results showed that stigmasterol had the best docking activity with PTGS2.

Conclusion Shenling Baizhu San may achieve the "treatment of different diseases with the same method" for COPD and DM through multiple components, multiple targets, and multiple pathways, and there is a certain correlation in the treatment mechanisms of two diseases, providing a theoretical basis and direction for subsequent research.