Effective Prevention and Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection Using a Combination of Catechins and Sialic Acid in AGS Cells and BALB/c Mice

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. pylon activity of catechins and/or sialic acid using the agar dilution and checkerboard methods. The effect of catechins and/of 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. pylon 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. pylon 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, norantildiotic 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. J. Nutr. 138: 2084-2090, 2008.