Augmentation of water-immersion stress- induced gastric mucosal lesions in BALB/c mice infected with Helicobacter felis.
OBJECTIVE
Inoculation of Helicobacter felis into the murine stomach has been reported to induce chronic gastric inflammation and may be a model of Helicobacter pylori-induced chronic gastritis. In this study, to characterize H. felis-induced gastritis, the gastric production of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) was measured in mice.


METHODS
Gastric mucosal lesions were induced in H. felis-infected BALB/c mice by water-immersion stress. The severity score of gastric erosions per stomach was measured as the sum of the length of erosions. Gene expression of IL-1beta and HGF were analyzed by Northern blot analysis and production of HGF was examined using the enzyme immunoassay method.


RESULTS
Water-immersion stress induced gastric mucosal lesions accompanied by increased expression of IL-1beta mRNA. H. felis infection evoked enhanced expression of IL-1beta and HGF genes. When H. felis-infected mice were stressed by water immersion, the mucosal lesions were more severe than those in non-infected mice. Moreover, IL-1beta gene expression as well as HGF production was further increased.


CONCLUSIONS
Although H. felis inoculation did not cause gastric mucosal erosions by itself, it augmented the stress-induced erosions.
Matsushima
Y
Y
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Kinoshita
Y
Y
Watanabe
M
M
Hassan
S
S
Fukui
H
H
Maekawa
T
T
Okada
A
A
Kawanami
C
C
Kishi
K
K
Watanabe
N
N
Nakao
M
M
Chiba
T
T
D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D005756:Gastritis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016998:Helicobacter / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007101:Immersion / Q000503:physiopathology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
D007375:Interleukin-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor