Premium
Enterocromaffin‐Like Cell Tumor Induced by Helicobacter pylori Infection in Mongolian Gerbils
Author(s) -
Kagawa Jiro,
Honda Shoji,
Kodama Masaaki,
Sato Ryugo,
Murakami Kazunari,
Fujioka Toshio
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
helicobacter
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.206
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1523-5378
pISSN - 1083-4389
DOI - 10.1046/j.1523-5378.2002.00115.x
Subject(s) - gastrin , atrophic gastritis , helicobacter pylori , gastroenterology , medicine , gastritis , stomach , gastric mucosa , helicobacter , biology , pathology , secretion
Background. Gastric carcinoids are strongly associated with chronic atrophic gastritis A, and it is suggested that hypergastrinemia plays a critical role in development of gastric carcinoids. Since Helicobacter pylori infection causes hypergastrinemia, it is held that H. pylori infection produces gastric carcinoids. We followed the histological changes of H. pylori ‐infected stomachs of Mongolian gerbils for a long time. Materials and Methods. Five‐week‐old‐male Mongolian gerbils were infected with H. pylori ATCC 43504 with cag A gene, expressing vacuolating cytotoxin. Determination of the serum gastrin and histopathological examination of the stomach at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after H. pylori inoculation was studied and compared with uninfected animals . Results In infected animals, the gastric carcinomas appeared 18 and 24 months after infection. Endocrine cell dysplasias and carcinoids with marked atrophic gastritis of the oxyntic mucosa were observed in the infected animals 24 months after H. pylori inoculation. The serum gastrin level in the infected group increased from an average of 86.2 pg/ml at the beginning of the study to an average of 498 pg/ml and 989 pg/ml at 18 and 24 months after infection, respectively. These changes in the serum gastrin levels were significant compared with uninfected controls that showed no changes. Conclusions. H. pylori infection caused not only gastric carcinomas but also enterochromaffin‐like cell tumors in Mongolian gerbils, due to hypergastrinemia. This model is thought to be useful to study the relationship between hypergastrinemia and gastric carcinoids.