ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that gastric mucosal injury induced by Helicobacter pylori infection is mediated by interleukin-8 (IL-8). METHODS: We studied the effect of plaunotol, a drug extracted from the Plau-noi tree of Thailand, and reported it to be effective in the treatment of ulcers, of IL-8 secretion induced by H. pylori and of the inhibitory adhesion activity of the bacterium to gastric epithelial cells. Moreover, the therapeutic effect of plaunotol on H. pylori infection was assessed by using the gnotobiotic murine model. RESULTS: Plaunotol inhibited the growth of H. pylori (1.5 x 10(4) c.f.u./mL) at high doses (24-48 microg/mL), but not at low doses (3-6 microg/mL). Interleukin-8 secretion induced by H. pylori was inhibited by coculture with plaunotol in a dose-dependent manner. The adhesion of H. pylori to MKN45 cells was also suppressed by coculture with plaunotol in a dose-dependent manner. An in vivo study showed that plaunotol improved histological gastritis and decreased the H. pylori antibody titre. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that plaunotol has a therapeutic effect on gastritis induced by H. pylori.
Subject(s)
Anti-Ulcer Agents/therapeutic use , Fatty Alcohols/therapeutic use , Gastric Mucosa/drug effects , Helicobacter Infections/drug therapy , Helicobacter pylori/drug effects , Interleukin-8/metabolism , Stomach Ulcer/drug therapy , Administration, Oral , Animals , Anti-Ulcer Agents/administration & dosage , Antibodies, Bacterial/analysis , Bacterial Adhesion/drug effects , Diterpenes , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Epithelial Cells/drug effects , Epithelial Cells/metabolism , Epithelial Cells/microbiology , Fatty Alcohols/administration & dosage , Gastric Mucosa/metabolism , Gastric Mucosa/microbiology , Helicobacter Infections/metabolism , Helicobacter Infections/microbiology , Helicobacter Infections/pathology , Helicobacter pylori/physiology , Humans , Immunoassay , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Rabbits , Stomach Neoplasms/metabolism , Stomach Neoplasms/pathology , Stomach Ulcer/metabolism , Stomach Ulcer/microbiology , Stomach Ulcer/pathology , Tumor Cells, Cultured/drug effectsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: To clarify the pathological functions of the virulence factors of Helicobacter pylori, a comparative analysis was carried out on the relationship between motility, flagellar gene polymorphism, vacuolating cytotoxin (VT) production and interleukin-8 (IL-8) induction. METHODS: Twenty-five strains were examined for restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the flagellin gene. Motility was measured using semisolid agar plates. Cytotoxicity was assayed using RK-13 cells. IL-8 secretion was assessed by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods. RESULTS: H. pylori was classified into four groups according to their flagellar RFLP. No differences were noted in motility or VT production among the four groups, but a significant difference was noted in IL-8 induction. In addition, highly motile strains produced more IL-8. CONCLUSION: This flagellar genetic polymorphism may be associated with IL-8 induction.
