Anshen Dingzhi prescription, a traditional Chinese medicine, effectively treats breast cancer-related post-traumatic stress disorder, potentially by regulating TNF-α, IL-1β, and BDNF levels.
The methodology employed for the investigation involved a 4-week-long clinical trial, where the efficacy and mechanism of action of Anshen Dingzhi prescription (ADP) on breast cancer-related post-traumatic stress disorder (BC-PTSD) was analyzed. Patients were split into two groups to compare the impact of different treatments on stress, sleep quality, depression, anxiety, and overall well-being scores. Also, the fluctuations of serum cortisol, tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) levels, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were noted.
Part of the study included a network analysis and molecular docking to explore how ADP's blood components interacted with IL1B, TNF, and BDNF. Adverse effects and overall treatment efficacy between groups were also tracked.
Results indicated that both groups saw improvements in post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety ratings, as well as sleep quality and overall wellness. However, the group treated with ADP saw greater improvements. This group also had reduced TNF-α, IL-1β, elevated BDNF levels, and a lower incident of adverse effects compared to the control group. The network analysis results reveal that ADP's blood components could potentially act on IL1B, TNF, and BDNF, providing a theoretical foundation for its mechanism of action.
