ABSTRACT
“
Helicobacter
heilmannii
” (proposed name) type 1 colonizes
the human stomach. It has been shown to be identical to“
Candidatus
Helicobacter suis,” a
Helicobacter
species colonizing the stomachs of >60%
of slaughter pigs. This bacterium has not been isolated in vitro until
now. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of “
Candidatus
Helicobacter suis” has not been carried out so far. For the
present study, a mouse model was adopted to evaluate the antibiotic
susceptibility of this organism. Mice infected with“
Candidatus
Helicobacter suis” were treated
with amoxicillin and omeprazole, a therapy which is used to treat
H. heilmannii
infections in humans. Two different isolates of“
Candidatus
Helicobacter suis” were tested.
The excretion of bacterial DNA was assessed during treatment, using PCR
on fecal samples. At the end of the experiment, 8 days after the
cessation of treatment, the presence of infection was evaluated using a
urease test and a PCR test on stomach samples. A marked decrease in the
excretion of bacterial DNA was observed a few days after the onset of
treatment, and the level remained low until the end of the experiment.
A difference in susceptibility between the two“
Candidatus
Helicobacter suis” isolates was
pointed out. The in vivo mouse model infected with“
Candidatus
Helicobacter suis” will be useful
for further screening of potential therapeutic
regimens.