Eradication of Helicobacter pylori significantly reduced gastric damage in nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-treated Mongolian gerbils

AIM: To examine the effect of eradication of Helicobacter pyloriprior to usage of NSAIDs, by investigating gastric inflammatory activity, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity,prostaglandin (PG) E2 synthesis in H pylori-infected, and H pylori-eradicated gerbils followed by administration of indomethacin and rofecoxib.METHODS: Six-week-old male gerbils were orally inoculated with H pylori. Seven weeks later, anti-H pyloritriple therapy and vehicle were given to gerbils respectively and followed for 2 wk. We examined the area of lesions, gastric inflammatory activity, PGE2 synthesis and MPO activity in the stomach.RESULTS: In indomethacin and rofecoxib-treated gerbils,the following results were obtained in H pylori-infected group vs Hpylori-eradicated group respectively: hyperplasia area of the stomach (mm2): 82.4±9.2 vs 13.9±3.5 (P＜0.05),30.5±5.1 vs 1.3±0.6 (P＜0.05); erosion and ulcer area (mm2):14.4±4.9 vs0.86±0.5 (P＜0.05), 1.3±0.6 vs0.4±0.3 (P＜0.05);score of gastritis: 7.0±0.0 vs3.6±0.5 (P＜0.05), 7.0±0.0 vs2.7±0.5 (P＜0.05); MPO activity (μmol H2O2/min/g tissue):104.7±9.2 vs9.0±2.3 (P＜0.05), 133.5±15.0 vs2.9±0.7(P＜0.05); PGE2 synthesis (pg/mg wet weight/min): 299.2±81.5vs 102.8±26.2 (P＜0.05), 321.4±30.3 vs 11.9±4.8 (P＜0.05).CONCLUSION: Eradication of H pylori reduced gastric damage of NSAID-treated Mongolian gerbils. Rofecoxib caused less severe gastric damage than indomethacin in H pylori-eradicated gerbils.