Oxidative Stress and Stomach Cancer

The bacterium Helicobacter pylori plays a major role in eliciting and confronting oxidative stress in the stomach. Activated neutrophils are the main source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) production in the H. pylori-infected stomach. Excessive ROS/RNS production in the stomach can damage DNA in gastric epithelial cells, suggesting its involvement in gastric carcinogenesis. Understanding the molecular mechanism of H. pylori-induced generation of ROS, and their involvement in gastric carcinogenesis, may help to develop new strategies for gastric cancer chemoprevention.This chapter summarizes the oxidative stress in gastric mucosa, possible mechanisms of gastric carcinogenesis, and the role of antioxidants in the development of gastric cancer.