RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effects of modified dachengqi tang (DCQT) on promoting gastrointestinal motility in post-operative esophageal cancer patients. METHODS: Sixty postoperative esophageal cancer patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to the modified treatment group or the control group (30 patients in each group). Patients in the treatment group were given DCQT made from decocted herbs and administered via nasojejunal tube at a dosage of 150 mL. Gastrointestinal motility was assessed by recording time for recovery of bowel sounds, flatus, defecation, and the total amount of gastric drainage during the first three postoperative days. Plasma motilin (MTL) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were measured one hour before and three days after surgery. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the times to first bowel sound, flatus, and defecation were significantly shorter and there was less gastric drainage in the treatment group (P < 0.01, P < 0.01, P < 0.01, and P < 0.05, respectively). In the treatment group, postoperative plasma MTL was significantly higher (P < 0.01) and VIP was significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no difference found in either MTL or VIP from before to after operation in the treatment group (P > 0.05). MTL was significantly lower and VIP was higher postoperatively in the control group, compared to before surgery (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Modified DCQT effectively improved decreased gastrointestinal motility in postoperative esophageal cancer patients by increasing MTL and reducing VIP.