Gastric cancer: Animal studies on the risk of hypoacidity and hypergastrinemia

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.