Use of a mouse model to examine anti-Helicobacter pylori agents

A mouse model of Helicobacter infection of the gastric mucosa was evaluated for in vivo screening of new anti-Helicobacter pylori therapies. The aim of the study was to test antimicrobial agents with known anti-H. pylori effects in humans to validate that similar results were obtained in the mouse model. Specific pathogen-free mice were colonized with H. felis, a cat stomach isolate that has been shown to induce chronic gastritis in gnotobiotic mice. In H. felis-inoculated mice 4 weeks after treatment, only 25% were cleared with erythromycin, 47% with metronidazole, 0% with tetracycline, 70% with amoxycillin, and 25% with bismuth subcitrate. In contrast, triple therapy with metronidazole, amoxycillin, and bismuth subcitrate resulted in 80% eradication, whereas triple therapy with metronidazole, tetracycline, and bismuth subcitrate eradicated the Helicobacter from all the animals. We believe the similarities of these treatments to those reported in the literature for humans warrant the use of this model for the early screening of possible anti-H. pylori therapies, especially as in vitro testing has been found to be so non-predictive of therapeutic success.