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Clinical Efficacy of Tandospirone on Functional Dyspepsia Patients with Anxiety: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study

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Abstract

Background

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is characterized with multiple symptoms of indigestion and often accompanied with anxiety. However, there is currently an absence of effective treatment. Tandospirone is commonly used to treat generalized anxiety disorders. Whether tandospirone can improve the clinical symptoms of FD remain unknown.

Aims

The present study was designed to explore the pharmacological effect of tandospirone on FD patient with anxiety, and the potential mechanisms were also elucidated.

Methods

FD patients with anxiety were randomly divided into placebo and tandospirone treatment groups. Healthy volunteers were simultaneously recruited as control group. The gastrointestinal symptom score (GIS) and Hamilton anxiety scale (HAM-A) were performed before and after treatments with placebo or tandospirone. The serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and multiple inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin (IL)-6, IL-4, IL-1β, and IL-10 were determined. Regression analyses relating BDNF levels and gastrointestinal symptoms were performed.

Results

Tandospirone significantly alleviated the gastrointestinal and anxiety symptoms of FD patient, as evidenced by reductions of GIS index and HAM-A scores. Compared with the healthy volunteers, FD patients had lower BDNF and IL-10 levels, but higher levels of IL-6 and TNF-α. Importantly, tandospirone increased serum BDNF and IL-10 and decreased IL-6 levels in FD patients. Relative analysis revealed that BDNF level was negatively associated with gastrointestinal symptoms in FD patients.

Conclusion

Tandospirone effectively improved both anxiety and gastrointestinal symptoms of patients with FD, and these therapeutic effects may be associated with the modulation of BDNF and inflammatory cytokines.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported by grants from the West China Psychiatric Association (2016-19) and the Training Fund of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (PYJJ2019-04).

Funding

This work was supported by Grants from the West China Psychiatric Association (2016-19) and the Training Fund of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (PYJJ2019-04).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1, Youyi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 40016, China

    Lulu Liu, Wenguang Yang, Ya Lu, Jue Wang, Yan Zheng & Sai Gu

Authors
  1. Lulu Liu
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  2. Wenguang Yang
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  3. Ya Lu
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  4. Jue Wang
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  5. Yan Zheng
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Contributions

Prof. SG is the guarantor of this work, had full access to all the data, and took full responsibility for the integrity of data and the accuracy of data analysis; LL researched data and edited and revised the manuscript; WY and YL researched data; JW and YZ reviewed and edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sai Gu.

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All authors declare that they have no potential conflicts, including financial interests, activities, relationships, and affiliations.

Ethical approval

The study protocol was approved by the local Ethical Committee of First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (No.20163101).

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Informed consent was obtained from each participant.

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Liu, L., Yang, W., Lu, Y. et al. Clinical Efficacy of Tandospirone on Functional Dyspepsia Patients with Anxiety: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study. Dig Dis Sci 68, 521–528 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-022-07717-z

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