Abstract
Abstract Background Daikenchuto (TJ-100), a traditional Japanese herbal medicine, is widely used in Japan. Its effects on gastrointestinal motility, microcirculation and its anti-inflammatory effect are known. The purpose of this prospective randomized controlled trial was to investigate the effect of TJ-100 after esophagectomy in esophageal cancer patients. Methods Forty patients to whom subtotal esophagectomy for esophageal cancer was planned at our institute from March 2011 to August 2013 were enrolled and divided into two groups at the point of determination of the operation schedule after informed consent: TJ-100 treated group (n = 20) and Control group (n = 20). The primary end-points were maintenance of the nutrition condition and the recovery of gastrointestinal function. The secondary end-points were the serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level and adrenomedullin level during the postoperative course, the incidence of postoperative complications, and the length of hospital stay after surgery. Results We examined 39 patients because one patient in TJ-100 group couldn’t perform a curative surgery. The mean age of the TJ-100 group patients was significantly older than that of the control group. The rate of body weight decrease at postoperative day 21 was significantly suppressed in the TJ-100 group (3.6% vs. 7.0%, P = 0.014), but the serum albumin levels were not significantly different between the groups. The recovery of gastrointestinal function regarding flatus, defecation, and oral intake showed no significant between the groups, but postoperative bowel ill symptoms tended to be rare in the TJ-100 group. There was no significant difference in hospital stay after surgery. The serum CRP levels at postoperative day 3 tended to be suppressed in the TJ-100 group (P = 0.126). The rate of increase in adrenomedullin levels tended to be high postoperatively in the TJ-100 group, but there was no significant difference. Conclusion TJ-100 treatment after esophagectomy prompts the recovery of gastrointestinal motility and minimizes body weight loss. Those effects might suppress the excess inflammatory reaction related to surgery Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.
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