OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of rhubarb and enteral nutrition on C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in peripheral blood of patients with gastric cancer during perioperative period.

METHODSFifty-six patients with gastric cancer were randomly assigned to three groups. The 20 patients in Group A were given conventional fluid supplement and parenteral nutrition; the 21 patients in Group B were given conventional fluid supplement and enteral nutrition via nasal feeding starting from the 42nd hour to the 8th day after operation; and the 15 patients in Group C were treated, besides the same fluid supplement and enteral nutrition as that for Group B, with additional three times of 10% rhubarb liquid medication, given at the day before operation (100 mL), and the 18th and 42th hour post-operation (50 mL in each time). Serum levels of CRP and IL-6 of all patients were measured at different time points, i. e. the day before operation (T0), the 1st (T1), 3rd (T2) and 7th day (T3) after operation.

RESULTSAcute inflammatory reaction happened in all the patients. However, the plasma level of CRP and IL-6 in Group C at T3 (12.67 +/- 4.28 mg/L and 18.17 +/- 11.10 mg/L) was significantly lower than those in Group A (19.72 +/- 9.73 mg/L and 20.44 +/- 6.32 mg/L) and Group B (21.27 +/- 10.46 mg/L and 20.29 +/- 7.79 mg/L), respectively (P < 0.05). And the recovery time of borborgmus in Group C were the shortest among the three groups.

CONCLUSIONApplying rhubarb on gastric cancer patients during perioperative period can effectively decrease the levels of CRP and IL-6 in peripheral blood, alleviate acute inflammatory reaction caused by operative trauma, promote the recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal motility and be beneficial for the supplement of enteral nutrition.