Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan.
Third Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan.
Helicobacter. 2022 Oct;27(5):e12921. doi: 10.1111/hel.12921. Epub 2022 Aug 8.
Helicobacter pylori has a high infection rate, and it is possible that more than half of the world's population is infected. The route of transmission of H. pylori has not been completely elucidated yet. The coccoid form of H. pylori is generally considered to be in a VBNC (viable but nonculturable) state, and this form in the environment is thought to play an important role in infection and transmission, but its stability and survivability are still unknown.
In order to promote its changing to coccoid form, the spiral form of H. pylori grown in a culture medium was exposed to sterile distilled water, and we investigated the bacterial cell number and the morphological changes by using fluorescence staining methods and electron microscopic observation. We also examined the dynamics of its growth ability by measuring the colony forming unit on an agar-plate medium.
After exposure to sterile distilled water, the H. pylori spiral form rapidly lost its growth ability at 37°C. One day after exposure, approximately 95% of the spiral form disappeared and the proportion of the coccoid form increased. The total number of bacteria also decreased to less than half and continued to decrease over time. Epi-microscopic and electron microscopic observations revealed that deformation of bacterial cells, collapse, and leaking out of cell contents were promoted in exposure to sterile distilled water.
Helicobacter pylori quickly begins to transform into the coccoid form after exposure to sterile distilled water, rapidly loses its growth ability, and then lyses and dies. Water-exposure is lethal for H. pylori and it is unlikely to survive in the VBNC state in water.
幽门螺杆菌的感染率很高，全世界可能有一半以上的人口受到感染。其传播途径尚未完全阐明。幽门螺杆菌的球形形式通常被认为处于 VBNC（存活但非可培养）状态，这种形式在环境中被认为在感染和传播中起着重要作用，但它的稳定性和存活能力仍不清楚。
为了促进其向球形形式转变，将培养基中生长的幽门螺杆菌螺旋形式暴露于无菌蒸馏水中，我们使用荧光染色方法和电子显微镜观察研究了细菌数量和形态变化。我们还通过测量琼脂平板培养基上的菌落形成单位来检查其生长能力的动态。
暴露于无菌蒸馏水中后，幽门螺杆菌的螺旋形式在 37°C 下迅速失去生长能力。暴露一天后，约 95%的螺旋形式消失，球形形式的比例增加。细菌总数也减少到不到一半，并且随着时间的推移继续减少。 epi 显微镜和电子显微镜观察表明，暴露于无菌蒸馏水中促进了细菌细胞的变形、崩溃和细胞内容物的泄漏。
幽门螺杆菌暴露于无菌蒸馏水中后很快开始转化为球形形式，迅速失去生长能力，然后裂解和死亡。水暴露对幽门螺杆菌是致命的，它不太可能在水中处于 VBNC 状态下存活。
