Elemental diet directly affects chemotherapy-induced dermatitis and raw wound areas

Elemental diet preventative effects for adverse events during chemotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer - A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

The effectiveness of an elemental diet (ED) for preventing adverse events (AEs) during chemotherapy for patients with esophageal cancer (EC) remains unclear. The aim of this meta-analysis was to comprehensively assess the efficacy of ED for preventing AE in EC patients during chemotherapy. Medline (via PubMed), Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched to retrieve prospective and randomized studies published before April 12, 2023. The odds ratio (OR) of each AE was calculated using Review Manger 5.4.1. The risk of bias was assessed, and a random effect model-based meta-analysis was used to analyze the available data. Four prospective and randomized studies involving 237 patients were identified after a systematic search. Regarding gastrointestinal toxicities, the findings indicated a trend toward a decrease in the risk of mucositis (OM) (OR = 0.54, 95 % CI: 0.25-1.14), constipation (OR = 0.87, 95 % CI: 0.49-1.53), and anorexia (OR = 0.99, 95 % CI: 0.32-3.05), as well as an increasing trend in the risk of diarrhea (OR = 1.48, 95 % CI: 0.79-2.79), among patients treated with ED. However, none of these reached statistical significance. For hematological toxicities, the risk of all-grade neutropenia (OR = 0.28, 95 % CI: 0.14-0.57), grade ≥ 2 leucopenia (OR = 0.43, 95 % CI: 0.22-0.84), grade ≥ 2 neutropenia (OR = 0.34, 95 % CI: 0.17-0.67), and grade ≥ 3 neutropenia (OR = 0.28, 95 % CI: 0.12-0.63) was significantly decreased. There is no firm evidence confirming the preventive effect of an ED against OM or diarrhea. However, an ED may potentially be helpful in preventing neutropenia and leucopenia.

Effectiveness of elemental diets to prevent oral mucositis associated with cancer therapy: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

During chemo- or radiotherapy, oral mucositis is associated with severely affected nutrition, prolonged hospital stays, increased risk of infections, death, hindered cancer treatment, and compromised patient prognosis. Although oral mucositis management is critical, no preventive methods have been firmly established. Nutritional therapy with the oral amino acid-rich elemental diet (ED) Elental® may prevent body composition changes and oral mucositis as dose-limiting toxicities of cancer therapy. This meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of ED for the prevention of grade ≥2 oral mucositis in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

METHODS

A PubMed literature search for randomized clinical trials and/or observational studies in English was conducted. Odds ratios and their confidence intervals were calculated, and fixed- or random-effects models applied.

RESULTS

Of 24 relevant studies, nine conducted in Japan (including 445 patients) were subjected to a meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was 56%. Using a random-effects model, the resulting odds ratio (95% confidence interval) was 0.25 (0.10, 0.61). Funnel plot analysis showed no publication bias. There was no heterogeneity by study design, but esophageal cancer exhibited heterogeneity. The respective odds ratios (fixed-effects model) were 0.10 (0.03, 0.30) for observational studies and 0.48 (0.28, 0.82) for randomized control trials. The odds ratio (confidence interval) using a random-effects model was 0.35 (0.12, 0.99) for esophageal cancer; using a fixed-effects model, odds ratios were 0.07 (0.02, 0.29) for gastroenterological cancer and 0.26 (0.04, 1.60) for oral cancers.

CONCLUSIONS

The ED reduced the risk of developing oral mucositis, regardless of study design. The effectiveness was more marked in patients with gastroenterological cancer followed by esophageal cancer; ED was not effective in patients with oral cancer.

An elemental diet protects mouse salivary glands from 5‑fluorouracil‑induced atrophy

An elemental diet (ED) reduces adverse effects of chemotherapy, including oral mucositis, in patients with cancer. However, the detailed mechanism(s) of the healing effects of an ED remains unclear. In the present study, the protective effects of the ED, Elental^®, were examined against 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced oral mucositis and salivary gland atrophy in mice. Mucositis was induced in female ICR mice by injection of 5-FU. The mice were orally administered Elental^® (ED group) or saline (control group). After treatment, the mice body weight, salivary gland weight and the histological changes in the salivary gland granular duct area were monitored. The mice body weight remained stable in the ED group, but was significantly decreased in the control group. Moreover, the salivary gland weight was higher in the ED group compared with the control group. In addition, the salivary gland granular duct area cells were larger in the ED group compared with the control group. Whole transcriptome analysis and network analysis were conducted to understand the mechanisms of action of Elental^® against oral mucositis. Whole transcriptome analysis and Ingenuity Pathways Analysis data suggested that Elental^® contributed to the recovery of mitochondrial function in 5-FU-damaged salivary glands. Immunohistochemical analysis of salivary gland tissue demonstrated that the expression of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 4 and epidermal growth factor were higher in the ED group compared with the control group. Next, the rate of apoptosis in the salivary glands was examined using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays. The number of TUNEL-positive cells in the salivary glands was lower in the ED group compared with the control group. These findings suggested that Elental^® may protect mouse salivary glands from 5-FU-induced atrophic changes, which suggests that ED treatment may improve xerostomia and alleviate oral mucositis in patients with cancer receiving 5-FU-based chemotherapy.

Amino Acids May Have Protective Effects on Salivary Glands of 5-FU-administered Mice

BACKGROUND/AIM

This study aimed to identify the most useful components of Elental^® in the treatment of 5-fluorouracil (FU)-induced mucositis and salivary gland atrophy in mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Mice (except the control group) were intraperitoneally injected with 5-FU. The mice received saline (control group and 5-FU group), dextrin (Dextrin group), amino acids (17AA group), or Elental^® (Elental^® group).

RESULTS

The volume and weight of salivary glands was higher in 17AA and Elental^® groups compared to 5-FU group. The number of mucous glands was higher, whereas the number of damaged granular ductal epithelial cells was lower in the salivary glands of all groups except the 5-FU group. Salivation was also decreased in the 5-FU group compared to the other groups.

CONCLUSION

Amino acids could be the most effective components of Elental^® for protecting mouse salivary glands from 5-FU-induced atrophic changes, and might be useful in the treatment of oral mucositis in cancer patients.