Adenocarcinoma of the rat esophagus in the presence of a proton pump inhibitor: a pilot study

This study examines the effects of a proton pump inhibitor on a rat model o f duodenogastric reflux. Duodenoesophageal reflux was induced in 60 rats by performing a duodenesophagostomy. The study group received daily intraperi toneal injections of a proton pump inhibitor for 6 months and the control g roup received an equivalent injection of saline. Rats were examined at deat h for macroscopic tumor, dysplasia, adenocystic changes, papillomatosis, an d adenocarcinoma. Five out of 19 rats in the study group and three out of 2 0 rats in the control group developed dysplastic/adenocarcinomatous changes . Ten of the rats in the study group died before the end of the study, as o pposed to one in the control group (this is not statistically significant). There was no difference in the number of cancers that developed in the two groups. However, there was an insignificant trend to earlier appearance of detectable disease in the study group.