Effective prevention and treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection using a combination of catechins and sialic acid in AGS cells and BALB/c mice

J Nutr. 2008 Nov;138(11):2084-90. doi: 10.3945/jn.108.090985.

Abstract

The increasing emergence of Helicobacter pylori strains resistant to antibiotics may cause unsuccessful treatment. An alternative agent or mixture with anti-H. pylori effect is urgently required to reduce H. pylori infection. We explored the preventive and therapeutic potential of a combination of catechins and sialic acid on H. pylori-infected human gastric cells in vitro and in mice in vivo. We evaluated the anti-H. pylori activity of catechins and/or sialic acid using the agar dilution and checkerboard methods. The effect of catechins and/or sialic acid on H. pylori infection-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis/autophagy in cell culture was explored using an ultrasensitive chemiluminescence analyzer, immunocytochemistry, and Western blotting. Specific pathogen-free BALB/c mice were divided into uninfected control, infected control, pretreated, and post-treated groups. The effects of catechins/sialic acid were determined by histology and immunocytochemistry. The combination of catechins and sialic acid showed synergistic or additive anti-H. pylori activity and significantly reduced inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and Bax/Bcl-2-mediated apoptosis but enhanced Beclin-1-mediated autophagy. All mice infected with H. pylori displayed gastritis and accumulation of 3-nitrotyrosine and 4-hydroxynonenal. Pretreatment with catechins/sialic acid completely prevented H. pylori infection and resulted in normal histology. Post-treatment with catechins/sialic acid decreased the bacterial load and gastritis score and eradicated up to 60% of H. pylori infections in a dose-dependent manner. This is the first demonstration to our knowledge of a nonprobiotic, nonantibiotic treatment that is 100% effective in preventing and has promising possibilities for treating H. pylori infection. Further studies are needed to confirm this result in humans.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Catechin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Catechin / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Epithelial Cells / drug effects
  • Epithelial Cells / microbiology
  • Gastric Mucosa / microbiology
  • Gastric Mucosa / pathology
  • Helicobacter Infections / prevention & control*
  • Helicobacter pylori*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / pharmacology*
  • Stomach / cytology
  • Stomach Diseases / microbiology
  • Stomach Diseases / pathology
  • Stomach Diseases / prevention & control

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Catechin
  • N-Acetylneuraminic Acid