Protective efficacy of a hydroxy fatty acid against gastric Helicobacter infections.

BackgroundWe have previously revealed that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can prevent Helicobacter pylori infection by blocking the futalosine pathway, an alternative route for menaquinone (MK) biosynthesis. Materials and Methods1, Different H.pylori strains were grown in liquid media supplemented with linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, or its 10-hydroxy derivative, 10-hydroxy-cis-12-octadecenoic acid (HYA), in the presence or absence of MK. The bacterial numbers in the media were estimated by plating; 2, C57BL/6NCrl mice received drinking water supplemented with different fatty acids starting from 1week before infection with H.pylori or Helicobacter suis until the end of the experiment. The gastric colonization levels of H.pylori or H.suis were determined 2weeks after infection by plating or quantitative PCR, respectively; 3, Mice were given HYA, starting 1week before infection with H.suis and continuing until 6months after infection, for analysis of the gastric conditions. Results1, A low concentration (20mol/L) of HYA in culture broth suppressed the growth of H.pylori, and this inhibition was reduced by MK supplementation; 2, HYA treatment protected mice against H.pylori or H.suis infection; 3, HYA treatment suppressed the formation of lymphoid follicles in the gastric mucus layer after H.suis infection. ConclusionsHYA prevents gastric Helicobacter infections by blocking their futalosine pathways. Daily HYA supplementation is effective for the prevention of gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma induced by persistent infection with H.suis.