title: CagA-positive Helicobacter pylori strain containing three EPIYA C phosphorylation sites produces increase of G cell and decrease of D cell in experimentally infected gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Human infection by Helicobacter pylori is associated with an increase in the number of gastrin-producing G cells and a concomitant decrease of somatostatin-producing D cells. However, to our knowledge, changes in G and D cell numbers in response to infection with H. pylori CagA-positive strains containing different number of EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites have not been analyzed to date. Therefore, the aim of this study was to perform a quantitative analysis of the number of G and D cells in Mongolian gerbils challenged with H. pylori strains with different numbers of EPIYA-C motifs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mongolian gerbils were inoculated with isogenic H. pylori strains containing one to three phosphorylation sites. Mucosal fragments were evaluated by morphometry and immunohistochemistry using primary polyclonal rabbit anti-gastrin and anti-somatostatin antibodies. Positive cells were counted using an image analyzer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-five days after infection, there was a decrease in the number of D cells and an increase in the G/D cell ratio in the group with three EPIYA-C. Six months after infection, there was a progressive and significant increase in the number of G cells and in the G/D cell ratio, with a concomitant decrease in the number of D cells, especially in the three EPIYA-C group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CagA-positive H. pylori strains containing a large number of EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites induce a decrease in D cell number and an increase in G cell number and G/D ratio, which were correlated with the number of inflammatory cells of the lamina propria.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pathology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Moacir Ferreira
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Júnior
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Research in Bacteriology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sérgio de Assis
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.affiliation: Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael Calvão
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Barbuto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Research in Bacteriology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adriana Dias
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Research in Bacteriology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Dulciene Maria Magalhães
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Queiroz
authors.affiliation: Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ivana Duval
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pathology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Electronic address: caliari@icb.ufmg.br.
authors.forename: Marcelo Vidigal
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Caliari
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D019863:Gastrin-Secreting Cells / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005849:Gerbillinae; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C080866:cagA protein, Helicobacter pylori
keywords: CagA; D cells; EPIYA-C motifs; G cells; Helicobacter pylori