title: Helicobacter pylori upregulates expression of epidermal growth factor-related peptides, but inhibits their proliferative effect in MKN 28 gastric mucosal cells.
abstract: Acute exposure to Helicobacter pylori causes cell damage and impairs the processes of cell migration and proliferation in cultured gastric mucosal cells in vitro. EGF-related growth factors play a major role in protecting gastric mucosa against injury, and are involved in the process of gastric mucosal healing. We therefore studied the acute effect of H. pylori on expression of EGF-related growth factors and the proliferative response to these factors in gastric mucosal cells (MKN 28) derived from gastric adenocarcinoma. Exposure of MKN 28 cells to H. pylori suspensions or broth culture filtrates upregulated mRNA expression of amphiregulin (AR) and heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF), but not TGFalpha. This effect was specifically related to H. pylori since it was not observed with E. coli, and was independent of VacA, CagA, PicA, PicB, or ammonia. Moreover, H. pylori broth culture filtrates stimulated extracellular release of AR and HB-EGF protein by MKN 28 cells. AR and HB-EGF dose-dependently and significantly stimulated proliferation of MKN 28 cells in the absence of H. pylori filtrate, but had no effect in the presence of H. pylori broth culture filtrates. Inhibition of AR- or HB-EGF- induced stimulation of cell growth was not mediated by downregulation of the EGF receptor since EGF receptor protein levels, EGF binding affinity, number of specific binding sites for EGF, or HB-EGF- or AR-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of the EGF receptor were not significantly altered by incubation with H. pylori broth culture filtrates. Increased expression of AR and HB-EGF were mediated by an H. pylori factor > 12 kD in size, whereas antiproliferative effects were mediated by both VacA and a factor < 12 kD in size. We conclude that H. pylori increases mucosal generation of EGF-related peptides, but in this acute experimental model, this event is not able to counteract the inhibitory effect of H. pylori on cell growth. The inhibitory effect of H. pylori on the reparative events mediated by EGF-related growth factors might play a role in the pathogenesis of H. pylori-induced gastroduodenal injury.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare "L. Califano," Centro di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Università "Federico II," Napoli, Italy 80131.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Popolo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sommi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Del Vecchio Blanco
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Bruni
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Cover
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Blaser
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Coffey
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zarrilli
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000209:etiology; D066258:Amphiregulin; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D066255:EGF Family of Proteins; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005756:Gastritis / Q000209:etiology; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000209:etiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006493:Heparin / Q000378:metabolism; D066257:Heparin-binding EGF-like Growth Factor; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000209:etiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000235:genetics; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: C587848:AREG protein, human; D066258:Amphiregulin; D066255:EGF Family of Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D006133:Growth Substances; C587883:HBEGF protein, human; D066257:Heparin-binding EGF-like Growth Factor; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D006493:Heparin; D066246:ErbB Receptors