INTRAGASTRIC ACIDITY, BACTERIA, NITRITE, AND N-NITROSO COMPOUNDS BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER CIMETIDINE TREATMENT

Eight healthy subjects were studied half-hourly or hourly for 24 h periods before, during, and after cimetidine treatment. No significant differences in intragastric bacterial counts or bacterial species or in intragastric nitrite or N-nitroso-compound concentrations were found as a result of cimetidine treatment. Bacterial counts and nitrite concentrations tended to increase with pH, but N-nitroso-compound concentrations did not. This study provides no evidence that cimetidine treatment may increase the risk of gastric carcinoma by raising N-nitroso-compound concentrations.