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Antibiotics as a Stressing Factor Triggering the Harboring of Helicobacter pylori J99 within Candida albicans
Kimberly Sánchez-Alonzo1, Libnny Belmar1, Cristian Parra-Sepúlveda1
1Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenicity, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4070386, Chile.
Abstract:
First-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori includes amoxicillin and clarithromycin or metronidazole plus a proton pump inhibitor. Treatment failure is associated with antibiotic resistance and possibly also with internalization of H. pylori into eukaryotic cells, such as yeasts. Factors triggering the entry of H. pylori into yeast are poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate whether clarithromycin or amoxicillin trigger the entry of H. pylori into C. albicans cells.
Methods:
H. pylori J99 and C. albicans ATCC 10231 were co-cultured in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of amoxicillin and clarithromycin as stressors. Bacterial-bearing yeasts were observed by fresh examination. The viability of bacteria within yeasts was evaluated, confirming the entry of bacteria into Candida, amplifying, by PCR, the H. pylori16S rRNA gene in total yeast DNA.
Results:
Amoxicillin significantly increased the entry of H. pylori into C. albicans compared to the control.
Conclusion:
the internalization of H. pylori into C. albicans in the presence of antibiotics is dependent on the type of antibiotic used, and it suggests that a therapy including amoxicillin may stimulate the entry of the bacterium into Candida, thus negatively affecting the success of the treatment.
Insights
Amoxicillin, but not clarithromycin, significantly increased Helicobacter pylori entry into Candida albicans yeast. This suggests amoxicillin therapy may hinder H. pylori eradication by promoting bacterial internalization.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Medical Mycology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- First-line treatments for *Helicobacter pylori* infections involve amoxicillin and clarithromycin or metronidazole with a proton pump inhibitor.
- Treatment failures in *H. pylori* eradication are linked to antibiotic resistance and potential internalization into host cells like yeasts.
- The mechanisms triggering *H. pylori* entry into yeast cells remain largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether clarithromycin or amoxicillin exposure influences the internalization of *Helicobacter pylori* into *Candida albicans*.
Main Methods:
- Co-culturing *H. pylori* J99 with *Candida albicans* ATCC 10231 in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of amoxicillin and clarithromycin.
- Assessing bacterial internalization via direct observation, viability assays, and PCR amplification of the *H. pylori* 16S rRNA gene from total yeast DNA.
Main Results:
- Amoxicillin significantly enhanced the invasion of *H. pylori* into *C. albicans* compared to control conditions.
- Clarithromycin did not show a significant effect on the internalization rate.
Conclusions:
- Antibiotic-induced internalization of *H. pylori* into *C. albicans* is antibiotic-dependent.
- Therapies incorporating amoxicillin might inadvertently promote *H. pylori* entry into *Candida*, potentially compromising treatment efficacy.
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