title: Functional and morphological aspects of Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric cancer in Mongolian gerbils.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Helicobacter pylori infection of Mongolian gerbils is an established model of gastric carcinogenesis, but gastric secretory aspects of this carcinogenesis have not been studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effects of single intragastric inoculation of gerbils with H. pylori strain (cagA+ vacA+, 5 x 10(6) CFU/ml) or vehicle (saline) were examined at 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12 and 30 weeks from inoculation. Gastric morphology, the presence of H. pylori using the rapid urease test, the density of H. pylori and 16S rRNA and the plasma gastrin and somatostatin were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  H. pylori was detected in gastric mucosa in all infected animals. Basal gastric acid in gerbils was reduced by about 50% after H. pylori inoculation. Early lesions seen at 4 weeks after H. pylori inoculation consisted of chronic gastritis with thickened mucosal folds, oedema, congestion and mucosal lymphocytic infiltration. Adenomatous hyperplasia with cellular atypia with increased mitotic activity and the formation of apoptotic bodies and visible erosions and ulcerations were observed at 12-30 weeks after inoculation. The atypical gastric glands were situated 'back-to-back', suggesting gastric pre-cancer. The gastric blood flow in H. pylori-infected gerbils was significantly lower than that in the controls. Six- to seven-fold increase in plasma gastrin levels combined with significant fall in gastric somatostatin contents and the intraepithelial neoplasia were noticed in gerbils at all tested periods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  H. pylori-infection in gerbils resulted in gastric pre-cancer associated with functional changes, such as suppression of gastric secretion and impairment of both gastric mucosal microcirculation and the gastrin-somatostatin link.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine I, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Konturek
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brzozowski
authors.forename: Stanislaw J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Konturek
authors.forename: Slawomir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kwiecień
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pajdo
authors.forename: Danuta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Drozdowicz
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stachura
authors.forename: Elzbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karczewska
authors.forename: Eckhart G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Hahn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply / Q000382:microbiology; D005755:Gastrins / Q000097:blood; D005756:Gastritis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005849:Gerbillinae; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D005755:Gastrins; D013004:Somatostatin