Gastrin is an essential cofactor for helicobacter-associated gastric corpus carcinogenesis in C57BL/6 mice

Am J Pathol. 2009 Jul;175(1):365-75. doi: 10.2353/ajpath.2009.081165.

Abstract

We have previously described a synergistic interaction between hypergastrinemia and Helicobacter felis infection on gastric corpus carcinogenesis in FVB/N mice housed under specific-pathogen-free conditions. However, gastrin-deficient (GAS-KO) mice on a mixed C57BL/6/129Sv genetic background maintained in conventional housing were reported to develop spontaneous gastric antral tumors. Therefore, we investigated the role of gastrin in Helicobacter-associated gastric carcinogenesis in H. felis-infected mice on a uniform C57BL/6 background housed in specific-pathogen-free conditions. Hypergastrinemic transgenic (INS-GAS) mice, GAS-KO mice, and C57BL/6 wild-type mice were infected with H. felis for either 12 or 18 months. At 12 months postinfection, INS-GAS mice had mild corpus dysplasia, while B6 wild-type mice had either severe gastritis or metaplasia, and GAS-KO mice had only mild to moderate gastritis. At 18 months postinfection, both INS-GAS and B6 wild-type mice had both severe atrophic gastritis and corpus dysplasia, while GAS-KO mice had severe gastritis with mild gastric atrophy, but no corpus dysplasia. In contrast, both GAS-KO and B6 wild-type mice had mild to moderate antral dysplasia, while INS-GAS mice did not. H. felis antral colonization remained stable over time among the three groups of mice. These results point to a distinct effect of gastrin on carcinogenesis of both the gastric corpus and antrum, suggesting that gastrin is an essential cofactor for gastric corpus carcinogenesis in C57BL/6 mice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis
  • Cytokines / immunology
  • Female
  • Gastrins / genetics
  • Gastrins / metabolism*
  • Gastritis / genetics
  • Gastritis / immunology
  • Gastritis / metabolism
  • Helicobacter Infections / genetics
  • Helicobacter Infections / immunology
  • Helicobacter Infections / metabolism*
  • Helicobacter felis
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Precancerous Conditions / genetics
  • Precancerous Conditions / metabolism*
  • Precancerous Conditions / pathology
  • RNA, Messenger / analysis
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Stomach Neoplasms / genetics
  • Stomach Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Stomach Neoplasms / pathology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / immunology

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Gastrins
  • RNA, Messenger