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Evaluation of antibiotic therapies for eradication of Helicobacter hepaticus
1Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, USA.
Abstract:
The newly recognized murine pathogen Helicobacter hepaticus is known to colonize the ceca and colons of several strains of mice from a variety of commercial suppliers. Additionally, the organism persistently infects mice, causes a chronic hepatitis, and is linked to hepatic tumors in the A/JCr inbred mouse strain. For this reason, eradication of the organism from infected mouse colonies is desirable. Treatment modalities for eradication of H. hepaticus from the gastrointestinal system consisted of oral administration of various antibiotic combinations previously evaluated for eradication of experimental H. felis gastric infection in mice. A/JCr mice (8 to 10 weeks old) naturally infected with H. hepaticus were divided into six treatment groups of 10 animals each. Animals received monotherapy of amoxicillin, metronidazole, or tetracycline or triple therapy of amoxicillin-metronidazole-bismuth (AMB) or tetracycline-metronidazole-bismuth (TMB). All medications were administered by oral gavage three times daily for 2 weeks. One month after the final treatment, mice were euthanatized and livers, ceca, and colons were cultured for H. hepaticus. All untreated control animals had H. hepaticus isolated from the cecum and/or colon. H. hepaticus was not recovered from the livers, ceca, or colons of the AMB or TMB treatment groups. All animals receiving the various antibiotic monotherapies had H. hepaticus isolated from the cecum and colon. We conclude that at the doses and the route evaluated, AMB and TMB triple therapies are effective for eradication of H. hepaticus in 8- to 10-week old A/JCr mice.
Insights
Triple antibiotic therapies including amoxicillin-metronidazole-bismuth (AMB) and tetracycline-metronidazole-bismuth (TMB) effectively eradicated Helicobacter hepaticus in mice. This finding is crucial for controlling infections in mouse colonies and preventing associated liver disease.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Veterinary Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Helicobacter hepaticus is a murine pathogen that colonizes the gastrointestinal tract of mice.
- Chronic H. hepaticus infection can lead to hepatitis and hepatic tumors in A/JCr mice.
- Eradication of H. hepaticus from mouse colonies is essential for research integrity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of different antibiotic regimens for eradicating H. hepaticus from infected mice.
- To determine if oral administration of antibiotic combinations can clear H. hepaticus infection.
Main Methods:
- A/JCr mice naturally infected with H. hepaticus were treated with oral amoxicillin, metronidazole, tetracycline, or triple therapies (AMB or TMB) for two weeks.
- Antibiotic efficacy was assessed by culturing livers, ceca, and colons one month post-treatment.
- Control groups received no treatment.
Main Results:
- H. hepaticus was successfully eradicated from the livers, ceca, and colons of mice treated with AMB or TMB triple therapies.
- Antibiotic monotherapies (amoxicillin, metronidazole, or tetracycline) failed to eradicate H. hepaticus.
- All untreated control mice remained infected with H. hepaticus in their ceca and/or colons.
Conclusions:
- Amoxicillin-metronidazole-bismuth (AMB) and tetracycline-metronidazole-bismuth (TMB) triple therapies are effective for eradicating H. hepaticus in young A/JCr mice.
- These findings provide a viable treatment strategy for controlling H. hepaticus in research mouse colonies.