title: Augmentation of water-immersion stress- induced gastric mucosal lesions in BALB/c mice infected with Helicobacter felis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsushima
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maekawa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kawanami
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kishi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chiba
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor