Review
Copyright ©2008 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 21, 2008; 14(11): 1646-1651
Published online Mar 21, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.1646
Gastric cancer: Animal studies on the risk of hypoacidity and hypergastrinemia
Reidar Fossmark, Gunnar Qvigstad, Helge L Waldum
Reidar Fossmark, Gunnar Qvigstad, Helge L Waldum, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, St. Olav’s Hospital, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7006, Norway
Correspondence to: Reidar Fossmark, MD, PhD, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. St. Olav’s Hospital, Olav Kyrres gate 17, Trondheim 7006, Norway. reidar.fossmark@ntnu.no
Telephone: +47-73688000
Fax: +47-73867546
Received: December 6, 2007
Revised: January 14, 2008
Published online: March 21, 2008
Abstract

Gastric hypoacidity and hypergastrinaemia are seen in several conditions associated with an increased risk of gastric malignancy. Hypoacidity and hypergastrinaemia are closely related and their long-term effects are difficult to study separately in patients. Studies using animal models can provide valuable information about risk factors and mechanisms in gastric cancer development as the models allow a high degree of intervention when introducing or eliminating factors possibly affecting carcinogenesis. In this report, we briefly review findings from relevant animal studies on this topic. Animal models of gastric hypoacidity and hypergastrinaemia provide evidence hypergastrinaemia is a common causative factor in many otherwise diverse settings. In all species where sufficient hypoacidity and hypergastrinaemia have been induced, a proportion of the animals develop malignant lesions in the gastric oxyntic mucosa.

Keywords: Gastrin; Gastric cancer; Proton pump inhibitors; Acid secretion; Animal model