Bovine milk inhibits both adhesion of Helicobacter pylori to sulfatide and Helicobacter pylori-induced vacuolation of vero cells.

Adhesion of Helicobacter pylori to gastric mucosal cells is an initial important step in colonization and infection. To study adhesion, we investigated whether milk inhibits the adhesion of Helicobacter pylori to sulfatide, an acidic glycosphingolipid that exists in human gastric mucosa and to which Helicobacter pylori adheres. As a measure of functional significance, we also studied whether milk inhibits Helicobacter pylori-induced vacuolation of Vero cells. We used sulfatide-coated polystyrene plates and studied the effect of bovine milk on the adhesion of Helicobacter pylori to sulfatide. We used Vero cells for Helicobacter pylori-induced vacuolation. Bovine milk 100- to 200-fold diluted significantly inhibited both adhesion of Helicobacter pylori to sulfatide and Helicobacter pylori-induced vacuolation in Vero cells. Bovine milk significantly inhibited adhesion of Helicobacter pylori to MKN-45 cells and Lewis b antigen-coated polystyrene plates. In addition, these results suggest that bovine milk contains active substances that inhibit both adhesion of Helicobacter pylori to mucosa and vacuole formation. Bovine milk may have a protective effect on the gastric mucosa in Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis.