This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Patterson, M. M. Articles by Fox, J. G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Patterson, M. M. Articles by Fox, J. G. Social Bookmarking                            What's this?

Gastritis and Intestinal Metaplasia in Syrian Hamsters Infected with Helicobacter aurati and Two Other Microaerobes

Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

Chronic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia associated with naturally occurring colonization by Helicobacter aurati and two other microaerobic species were observed in Syrian hamsters. Thirty-five hamsters, between 7 and 12 months of age, were evaluated from two research and three commercial facilities. Microaerobic bacteria were cultured from the hamster stomachs. These bacteria included H. aurati, a fusiform, urease-positive species; a second novel helical, urease-negative Helicobacter sp.; as well as a smaller, urease-negative Campylobacter sp. Southern blot analysis detected Helicobacter spp. DNA in the gastric tissues of all 35 hamsters; 15 hamsters also had Campylobacter sp. DNA in their gastric tissues. When examined by light microscopy, argyrophilic bacteria consistent with H. aurati or the second Helicobacter sp. were present in antral sections of 12 out of the 15 hamsters where bacteria were seen, while 9 out of the 15 hamsters had bacteria resembling the Campylobacter sp. The presence of Helicobacter spp. but not the presence of Campylobacter sp. was significantly correlated to gastritis severity (P < 0.0001 for Helicobacter spp., P = 0.6025 for Campylobacter sp.) and intestinal metaplasia, as measured by numbers of goblet cells (P = 0.0239 for Helicobacter spp., P = 0.5525 for Campylobacter sp.). Severely affected hamsters also had Giardia sp. within their metaplastic gastric pits. Hamsters with naturally occurring helicobacter-associated gastritis provide a model for studying the development of intestinal metaplasia and gastric giardiasis in H. pylori-infected humans.

Key words: Gastritis; Helicobacter; Helicobacter aurati; Intestinal metaplasia; Syrian hamsters.

Request reprints from James G. Fox, Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Building 16–825, Cambridge, MA 02139 (USA).

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				F. Haesebrouck, F. Pasmans, B. Flahou, K. Chiers, M. Baele, T. Meyns, A. Decostere, and R. Ducatelle Gastric Helicobacters in Domestic Animals and Nonhuman Primates and Their Significance for Human Health Clin. Microbiol. Rev., April 1, 2009; 22(2): 202 - 223. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. R. Nambiar, S. M. Kirchain, K. Courmier, S. Xu, N. S. Taylor, E. J. Theve, M. M. Patterson, and J. G. Fox Progressive Proliferative and Dysplastic Typhlocolitis in Aging Syrian Hamsters Naturally Infected with Helicobacter spp.: A Spontaneous Model of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Vet. Pathol., January 1, 2006; 43(1): 2 - 14. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. R. Nambiar, S. Kirchain, and J. G. Fox Gastritis-associated Adenocarcinoma and Intestinal Metaplasia in a Syrian Hamster Naturally Infected with Helicobacter Species Vet. Pathol., May 1, 2005; 42(3): 386 - 390. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. L. Franklin, P. L. Gorelick, L. K. Riley, F. E. Dewhirst, R. S. Livingston, J. M. Ward, C. S. Beckwith, and J. G. Fox Helicobacter typhlonius sp. nov., a Novel Murine Urease-Negative Helicobacter Species J. Clin. Microbiol., November 1, 2001; 39(11): 3920 - 3926. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]