Plasma Pepsinogen Level as a Predictor of Susceptibility to Gastric Erosions in the Rat

Having found that rats with gastric erosions had higher plasma pepsinogen levels than animals without erosions, the present research was designed to determine if plasma pepsinogen levels were predictive of erosion susceptibility. Using a design analogous to that employed with human subjects, it was found that basal plasma pepsinogen levels were predictive of susceptibility to immobilization-produced gastric erosions. The predictive relationship, however, was apparently limited to conditions minimally conducive to the development of this type of erosion. It was also concluded that a high plasma pepsinogen level was neither a necessary nor sufficient condition for the development of gastric erosions in the rat.