BACKGROUND: Helicobacter mustelae colonizes the gastric mucosa of ferrets and causes persistent chronic gastritis. METHODS: Hypochlorhydria, as measured by gastric pH probe, was induced by administering oral omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor of the parietal cell, to adult ferrets in two separate experiments. Feces of ferrets were cultured for H. mustelae before, during, and after omeprazole therapy. RESULTS: H. mustelae was isolated in 23 of 55 (41.8%) sequential fecal samples collected during omeprazole therapy. The same ferrets with acidic gastric pH had H. mustelae isolated in 6 of 62 (9.7%) of the fecal cultures (P < 0.01). A DNA species-specific H. mustelae probe confirmed the presence of the organism in both the stomach and feces of all 5 ferrets. In 4 of 5 ferrets restriction enzyme patterns of the gastric H. mustelae were identical to those of the fecal H. mustelae strains. CONCLUSIONS: Hypochlorhydria promotes fecal transmission of a gastric Helicobacter organism. The H. mustelae-colonized ferret provides an ideal model to study the epidemiology and pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis.
BACKGROUND:Helicobacter mustelae colonizes the gastric mucosa of ferrets and causes persistent chronic gastritis. METHODS:Hypochlorhydria, as measured by gastric pH probe, was induced by administering oral omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor of the parietal cell, to adult ferrets in two separate experiments. Feces of ferrets were cultured for H. mustelae before, during, and after omeprazole therapy. RESULTS:H. mustelae was isolated in 23 of 55 (41.8%) sequential fecal samples collected during omeprazole therapy. The same ferrets with acidic gastric pH had H. mustelae isolated in 6 of 62 (9.7%) of the fecal cultures (P < 0.01). A DNA species-specific H. mustelae probe confirmed the presence of the organism in both the stomach and feces of all 5 ferrets. In 4 of 5 ferrets restriction enzyme patterns of the gastric H. mustelae were identical to those of the fecal H. mustelae strains. CONCLUSIONS:Hypochlorhydria promotes fecal transmission of a gastric Helicobacter organism. The H. mustelae-colonized ferret provides an ideal model to study the epidemiology and pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis.
Authors: Claudia M G Harper; Shilu Xu; Yan Feng; J Lawrence Dunn; Nancy S Taylor; Floyd E Dewhirst; James G Fox Journal: Appl Environ Microbiol Date: 2002-04 Impact factor: 4.792
Authors: C M Harper; C A Dangler; S Xu; Y Feng; Z Shen; B Sheppard; A Stamper; F E Dewhirst; B J Paster; J G Fox Journal: Appl Environ Microbiol Date: 2000-11 Impact factor: 4.792
Authors: M M Patterson; P W O'Toole; N T Forester; B Noonan; T J Trust; S Xu; N S Taylor; R P Marini; M M Ihrig; J G Fox Journal: Infect Immun Date: 2003-05 Impact factor: 3.441
Authors: C G Harper; Y Feng; S Xu; N S Taylor; M Kinsel; F E Dewhirst; B J Paster; M Greenwell; G Levine; A Rogers; J G Fox Journal: J Clin Microbiol Date: 2002-12 Impact factor: 5.948