Prevention and treatment of digestive tract issues induced by postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer using Terra Flava Usta.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects and possible mechanism of prevention and treatment of digestive tract reactions to postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer (PC) using terra flava usta.

METHODS

A total of 75 PC patients with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy who were admitted to our hospital from July 2016 to August 2019 were selected and randomly divided into a control group (CG) (n=37) and an observation group (OG) (n=38). Thirty min before chemotherapy, the CG received 8 mg of ondansetron via an intravenous drip, while the OG received 8 mg of ondansetron via an intravenous drip and terra flava usta. The grades of acute nausea and vomiting and delayed nausea and vomiting were compared between the two groups. The levels of gastrin (GAS), motilin (MTL), vasoactive peptide (VIP), hemoglobin (Hb), prealbumin (PA), and albumin (ALB), the proportion of CD4, CD8 and NK cells in T cell subsets, and the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and substance P (SP) were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The grades of delayed nausea and vomiting in the OG were superior to those in the CG ( < 0.05). The OG had higher levels of GAS and MTL and lower level of VIP than the CG after chemotherapy ( < 0.05). After chemotherapy, the levels of Hb, PA and ALB in the OG were higher than those in the CG ( < 0.05). After chemotherapy, the proportion of CD4 and NK cells in the OG were higher than those in the CG, while the proportion of CD8 in the OG was lower than that in the CG ( < 0.05). The serum 5-HT level in the acute phase and the delayed phase was higher than that before chemotherapy ( < 0.05), and the serum 5-HT level in the delayed phase was lower than that in the acute phase ( < 0.05). There was no significant difference in serum 5-HT level between the two groups in the acute phase and the delayed phase ( > 0.05). Compared with that before chemotherapy, SP levels in the OG decreased in the acute phase and the delayed phase, while SP levels in the CG did not change significantly, and SP levels in the OG were lower than those in the CG ( < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Terra flava usta can effectively prevent and treat digestive tract reactions (e.g., delayed nausea and vomiting) induced by postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for PC and protect gastrointestinal function, nutritional status and immune functions of PC patients. The mechanism of prevention and treatment of delayed digestive tract reactions after chemotherapy with terra flava usta may be related to the regulation of SP content. Therefore, terra flava usta is worthy of promotion and implementation.