Eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection by the probiotic strains Lactobacillus johnsonii MH-68 and L. salivarius ssp. salicinius AP-32.
BACKGROUND
The current therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection includes antimicrobial agents and proton pump inhibitors. We have examined the ability of Lactobacillus spp. to inhibit H. pylori infection.


METHODS
Probiotic strains isolated from samples of adult feces, infant feces, breast milk, and vaginal swab collected from healthy volunteers in Taiwan and commercially available strains were screened for antagonism toward H. pylori. Inhibition liquid culture assay was used to screen potential anti-H. pylori activity. Then, we performed agar plate inhibition assay, and assays to determine the capacity of probiotics for adhesion, and inhibition and killing of H. pylori, and measured the levels of IL-8 and IL-10. Using animal models, we studied regulation of gastric acid and histopathological changes accompanying anti-H. pylori activity.


RESULTS
We found that six of the tested strains suppressed urease activity of H. pylori: Lactobacillus acidophilus TYCA08, L. acidophilus TYCA15, L. johnsonii MH-68, and L. salivarius subsp. salicinius AP-32 were more effective than the others. In vivo, L. johnsonii MH-68 and L. salivarius subsp. salicinius AP-32 alone or in combination, reduced the H. pylori load in the gastric mucosa, and also reduced inflammatory chemokine expression and lymphocyte infiltration.


CONCLUSIONS
Lactobacillus johnsonii MH-68 and L. salivarius subsp. salicinius AP-32 effectively suppress H. pylori viability, and when used as probiotics, they may help decrease the occurrence of gastritis, and even reduce the risk of H. pylori infection.
Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Pei-Shan
PS
Hsieh
Yi-Chun
YC
Tsai
Yi-Chun
YC
Chen
Su-Fen
SF
Teh
Chung-Mou
CM
Ou
V An-Erl
VA
King
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000898:Antibiosis; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D058491:Bacterial Load; D002460:Cell Line; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism; D007778:Lactobacillus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000382:microbiology; D019936:Probiotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013624:Taiwan; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology
D016209:Interleukin-8; D016753:Interleukin-10