Objective: To determine the effect of different types of Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) on the gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) in GES-1 cells, and investigate the types of H.pylori related to the dysfunction of GJIC.
Methods: Different types of H.pylori clinical strains were isolated and cultured, including the East Asian CagA(-)positive H.pylori (East Asian CagA(+)H.pylori), Western CagA(-)positive H.pylori (Western CagA(+)H.pylori), and the CagA(-)negative H.pylori (CagA(-)H.pylori). We co-cultured these H.pylori strains with GES-1 cells for 24 and 48 h, respectively. The control group was cultured without any H.pylori for 24 and 48 h. Change of the GJIC function in GES-1 cells was detected by the scrape-loading dye transfer (SLDT) technique. The cell proliferation of each group was examined by the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.
Results: The control group showed better GJIC function in the GES-1 cells, and the fluorescent dye migrated 4-5 rows to the adjacent cells at 24 and 48 h. Compared with the control group, the GJIC function of GES-1 cells in the CagA(-)H.pylori group decreased and the fluorescent dye migrated 3 rows to the adjacent cells. Compared with the control group and the CagA(-) H.pylori group, the GJIC function of GES-1 cells in the Western CagA(+)H.pylori group decreased and the fluorescent dye migrated 1-2 rows to the adjacent cells. The East Asian CagA(+)H.pylori group showed no GJIC function or weak GJIC function, and most of the fluorescent dye was confined to the area of scratched single row cells and only a few migrated 1-2 rows to the adjacent cells. Difference in the cell proliferation between the CagA(-)H.pylori group and the control group was not significant. The cell proliferation of the Western CagA(+)H.pylori group and the East Asian CagA(+)H.pylori group at bacterium-to-cell ratio of 100:1 and 200:1 was higher than that of the control group. The cell prolife-ration of the East Asian CagA(+)H.pylori group at bacterium-to-cell ratio of 400:1 was significantly lower than that of the control group at 48 h.
Conclusion: H.pylori can inhibit the GJIC function in GES-1 cells, which may be associated with CagA(+)H.pylori, especially with East Asian CagA(+)H.pylori. The effect of H.pylori on the proliferation of GES-1 cells is related to virulence factor CagA.