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术前睡眠障碍对消化道肿瘤患者术后肠内营养不耐受的影响:一项前瞻性队列研究

 

Authors Chen M, Zhong W, Yu T, Cao C, Huang H, Yu J

Received 29 May 2025

Accepted for publication 23 September 2025

Published 17 October 2025 Volume 2025:17 Pages 2699—2713

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S539712

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 3

Editor who approved publication: Dr Marco Veneruso

Moxi Chen,1,* Wentao Zhong,1,* Tian Yu,2 Can Cao,1 Hongyun Huang,1 Jianchun Yu1 

1Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102218, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Jianchun Yu, Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan Wangfujing Dongcheng District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, Email yu-jch@163.com

Purpose: To investigate the effect of preoperative sleep disorders (SD) on postoperative enteral nutrition intolerance (ENI) and intestinal barrier, and explore its potential mechanism.
Patients and Methods: This study was a prospective cohort study that included 67 patients (26 in SD group and 41 in non-SD group) undergoing digestive tract tumor surgery. Preoperative sleep status was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Postoperative ENI was evaluated using the Enteral Nutrition Tolerance Scale. Perioperative serum cortisol, intestinal barrier markers (D-lactate, diamine oxidase and human lipopolysaccharide binding protein), ferroptosis markers (ferrous ions, reduced glutathione and lipid peroxide malondialdehyde) and intestinal flora characteristics were measured.
Results: The incidence of ENI in SD group was 53.8%, which was significantly higher than that in non-SD group (26.8%, P=0.038). Perioperative levels of serum intestinal barrier markers in SD group were higher than those in non-SD group (P< 0.05). The preoperative cortisol level was positively correlated with the increase in the intestinal barrier marker human lipopolysaccharide binding protein (r=0.3621, P=0.0170) and ferroptosis marker malondialdehyde (r=0.3660, P=0.0171). In SD group, the relative abundance of opportunistic pathogens (Enterobacteriaceae, Burkholderiaceae, etc) increased, while the relative abundance of probiotics (Bifidobacteriaceae) decreased.
Conclusion: Preoperative sleep disturbances were significantly associated with the occurrence of postoperative enteral nutrition intolerance in patients with gastrointestinal tumors. The intestinal barrier damage of these patients may be related to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation, oxidative stress induction and intestinal flora imbalance.
Plain Language Summary: Why was this study done?
We investigated whether sleep disorders before gastrointestinal cancer surgery affect patients’ ability to tolerate enteral nutrition after surgery and examined the biological reasons behind this.
What did the researchers do?
We followed 67 patients undergoing digestive tract tumor surgery (26 with sleep disorders, 41 without). Using standard medical tools: 1. Assessed sleep quality with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; 2. Measured enteral nutrition intolerance (ENI) symptoms; 3. Tested blood levels of: stress hormone (cortisol), gut damage markers (D-lactate, DAO, LBP), cell stress indicators (ferrous ions, glutathione, MDA) and gut bacteria.
What did we find?
Patients with preoperative sleep disorders: 1. Had significantly more ENI (54% vs 27%); 2. Showed higher gut barrier damage markers; 3. Had abnormal ferroptosis-related substances (↓glutathione, ↑MDA); 4. Had more harmful bacteria (Enterobacteriaceae) and fewer probiotics (Bifidobacteriaceae).
What do these results mean?
Sleep disorders before surgery may increase postoperative ENI through: 1. Stress system activation (HPA axis → cortisol ↑); 2. Iron-related cell damage (ferroptosis); 3. Gut bacteria imbalance.
Practical implications:
• For patients: Improving sleep quality before surgery may aid recovery
• For doctors: Monitoring cortisol or probiotics could help high-risk patients

Keywords: sleep wake disorders, postoperative gastrointestinal motility disorders, gastrointestinal microbiome, oxidative stress