Inhibition of Helicobacter pylori colonization by an antiulcer agent, sulglycotide

Sulglycotide, a potent antiulcer agent derived from duodenal mucus glycopeptide through sulfation of the carbohydrate moieties, was evaluated with respect to its ability to interfere with H. pylori mucosal attachment. H. pylori cells were incubated with sulglycotide or human gastric mucin and then examined for their inhibitory capacity of H. pylori attachment to erythrocytes. Titration data revealed that the mucin inhibitory activity was confined to its sulfomucin fraction, the titer of which was found to be 16-fold higher than that of intact mucin. The data with sulglycotide showed that the inhibitory titer of this agent against H. pylori attachment was at least 30-fold higher than that of the sulfated gastric mucin fraction. The results point towards the involvement of sulfomucins in the protection of gastric mucosa from H. pylori colonization and demonstrate that sulglycotide, because of structural similarities, is ideally suited to augment the inherent mucosal defenses against this pathogen.