Prevention and suppression of Helicobacter felis infection in mice using colostral preparation with specific antibodies.
BACKGROUND
Specific antibodies against Helicobacter were enriched from the colostra of hyperimmunized cows. Efficacies of colostral control preparation and immune preparation containing specific antibodies against Helicobacter felis were studied in the prevention and treatment of experimental H. felis infection in mice.


METHODS
H. felis-infected mice were given either immune or control preparation with or without complement or amoxicillin orally in four different trials. H. felis status was assessed on the basis of bacterial stainings, gastric histology and serum antibodies.


RESULTS
Immune, but not control preparation, prevented H. felis infection (p > 0.01), the efficacy being dependent on the presence of specific antibodies. In the trial on infected Balb/c mice treatment with immune preparation (p = 0.029) but not control preparation decreased the colonization of gastric antrum by H. felis. In the further trials with infected SJL-mice, treatments with colostral preparations did not decrease colonization. Amoxicillin treatment decreased the colonization with trend-setting significance (p = 0.056; infected mice as controls), whereas amoxicillin combined with immune preparation had a significant effect (p < 0.0005).


CONCLUSIONS
Specific colostral antibodies were useful in the prevention of Helicobacter infection in a mouse model. The results of the treatment trials were controversial but a similar colostral immune preparation against H. pylori could be effective and useful in preventing infections in humans and during antibiotic treatment.
Marnila
Pertti
P
MTT, Agrifood Research Finland, Food Research, Jokioinen, Finland.
Rokka
Susanna
S
Rehnberg-Laiho
Leena
L
Kärkkäinen
Päivi
P
Kosunen
Timo U
TU
Rautelin
Hilpi
H
Hänninen
Marja-Liisa
ML
Syväoja
Eeva-Liisa
EL
Korhonen
Hannu
H
D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003126:Colostrum / Q000276:immunology*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007116:Immunization, Passive / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D010406:Penicillins; D000658:Amoxicillin