Omeprazole and the gastric mucosa.

The potential for either omeprazole or its sulphenamide to interact with DNA was investigated by incubating tritiated omeprazole at either neutral or acidic pH with either purified prokaryotic (Escherichia coli) or purified eukaryotic (salmon sperm) DNA. Each incubation was carried out for 30 min. The DNA was separated on agarose gels, stained with ethidium bromide, and the radioactivity in the DNA determined. No radioactivity was associated with the DNA on the gel with either prokaryotic or eukaryotic DNA or with either protocol. No interaction with the DNA was found, thus excluding the possibilities of base modification, DNA strand breakage or intercalation. It was concluded that neither omeprazole nor its gastric metabolites are genotoxic.