Role of Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric carcinogenesis & probiotic treatment in vitro and in an animal model

Tumors of stomach, liver, and lower bowel are the second, third, and fourth leading causes of human cancer mortality, together accounting for more than two million deaths annually. Michetti et al.,(1999); Shibuya et al., (2000) reported that ˜10% of the world's total cancer burden and 20 – 30% of deaths are attributable to infections of the gastrointestinal (GI).

The aim of this study was to present an animal model for studying the pathology and mechanism underlying Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric cancer. To prove that probiotic micro-organisms may be used as a possible tool for the management of H. pylori infection in vitro

Several nested case-control studies have reported the potentially causal relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and the development of gastric cancer. We presented an animal model for studying the pathology; mechanism underlying H. pylori-induced gastric cancer and the role of lactobacillus species use as a probiotic treatment. Furthermore, the carcinogen A'-methyl-A'-nitrosourea (MNU) was used to increase the gastric cancer incidence in H. pylori infected animal model.- The present findings demonstrated that H. pylori infection increased the incidence of MNU-induced adenocarcinoma of the glandular stomach in mice i.e. H. pylori can be considered a promoter for a carcinogen action In addition, Lactobacillus was effective as probiotic by a percentage of 59% in vitro.

Our results confirmed the antagonistic effect of lactobacillus on H. pylori In accordance to Sgouras et al., (2005); Lesbros-Pantoflickova et al., (2007) findings, who stated that animal studies demonstrated that probiotic treatment is effective in reducing H. pylori-associated gastric inflammation.