Reproduction of Severe Gastroesophageal Ulcers (GEU) in Gnotobiotic Swine Infected with Porcine Helicobacter pylori-like Bacteria

Abstract

Groups of gnotobiotic piglets were orally inoculated at 3 days of age with either Helicobacter heilmannii (Hh) or a newly described porcine-origin gastric Helicobacter pylori (Hp)-like bacterium. Three Hh-infected and 6 porcine Hp-like-infected swine were fed a milk replacement diet containing 5-10% (v/v) sterile corn syrup as a dietary source of fermentable carbohydrate. None of the piglets infected with Hh and supplemented with corn syrup developed gastric mucosal ulcers; 2 developed small erosive lesions in the pars esophagea. In contrast, all 6 dietary carbohydratesupplemented Hp-like-infected swine developed severe gastroesophageal ulcers; 1 of these exsanguinated into the stomach and died before the end of the experiment. Four of these 6 piglets had grossly evident partially digested blood in the intestinal lumens, indicative of bleeding into the gastrointestinal tract from the stomach. These data suggest that a high carbohydrate diet and gastric colonization by porcine Hp-like bacteria facilitate development of clinically significant gastroesophageal ulcers.