Development of a Helicobacter Pylori Mouse Model

Abstract

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a gastric pathogen of primates and causes active chronic gastritis as well as peptic ulcers. A wide range of studies is in effect to prevent or cure Helicobacter infection and thus its associated disorders. In order to test various drug regimens as well as potential vaccines against H. pylori infection, a suitable animal model is required which should be cost-effective, easy to handle, and available in statistically significant numbers. In addition the induced disease should closely mimic that of human disease in both nature and chronicity. Since H. pylori is not a feline pathogen, it does not readily colonize the feline stomach. Various groups have been able to adapt different H. pylori strains to the mouse stomach and create varying degrees of Helicobacter-associated gastritis. However, increasing evidence has demonstrated that there are significant differences among H. pylori strains infecting various populations in the world. Therefore, in order to test different drug treatments or potential vaccines for use in a particular population, it is crucial for the animal model to be inhabited by strains from the target population. Hence the model shall mimic the actual environmental situation very closely.

Materials and Methods: In order to perform this task, through repeated attempts various clinical isolates of H. pylori have been adapted to the stomach of C57BL/6 mice and the colonization have been confirmed via PCR.

Results: Clinical isolates of H. pylori have been adapted to the stomach of C57BL/6 mice and represented different levels of gastric inflammation. Induced infection was treated with routine anti-H. pylori drugs regimens and the histopathological changes were removed.

Conclusions: Histopathologic studies demonstrated that the resulting gastric inflammation mimics that of humans and consists of both an active as well as a chronic inflammatory component. Furthermore application of anti-H. pylori antibiotic treatment in the H. pylori infected mice resulted in the eradication of infection and the resolution of the gastritis. Therefore, the resulting mouse model possesses most if not all of the required characteristics for a suitable animal model for H. pylori infection and can thus be used for testing various preventive and / or therapeutic regimens.