Omeprazole: An Effective Drug for Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome

Most patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome can be treated effectively with the histamine H2-receptor antagonists cimetidine and ranitidine. To control gastric acid secretion, however, these drugs often have to be given in large doses at frequent intervals. Omeprazole inhibits gastric acid secretion by inhibiting the H+K+ATPase in the gastric parietal cell. Because omeprazole is a potent gastric antisecretory drug and has been shown to have a duration of action of up to 3 days in animals and humans, the present study was designed to evaluate the utility of this drug in the treatment of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.