Robert's Intragastric Alcohol-Induced Gastric Lesion Model
/MDPI/2026
Why It Matters
If you're looking at supplements or compounds that claim to protect your stomach lining, they were probably tested using this exact model first. Understanding that most 'gastroprotective' claims come from rats getting force-fed ethanol helps calibrate expectations — it's a starting point for research, not proof something works in humans who have a beer with dinner.
Key Findings
- The Robert model involves giving rats concentrated ethanol directly into the stomach to reliably produce measurable ulcers within hours
- This is the gold standard preclinical test for screening compounds that might protect the stomach lining before any human testing happens
- The model measures visible lesions and can quantify damage severity, making it useful for comparing different protective compounds head-to-head
- It's specifically an acute injury model — rats get a one-time massive alcohol dose, which is very different from chronic drinking patterns in humans