Effects of flavonoids on parietal cell acid secretion, gastric mucosal prostaglandin production and Helicobacter pylori growth.

The effect of the flavonoids flavone, flavanone and quercetin on parietal cell acid production, H+/K(+)-ATPase activity, gastric mucosal prostaglandin E2 biosynthesis and Helicobacter pylori growth was studied. All flavonoids inhibited acid production in isolated parietal cells in response to histamine and dibutyryl-cAMP stimulation (IC50 values between 26 and 139 mumol/l) and inhibited H+/K(+)-ATPase activity. Inhibition of H+/K(+)-ATPase activity was dependent on the ATP concentration. Fluorescence measurements showed that flavanone reacts with ATP. These findings indicate that the inhibitory action of flavonoids on H+/K(+)-ATPase activity is related to their ability to complex ATP. Flavone and flavanone (10 and 100 mumol/l) stimulated prostaglandin E2 production in isolated gastric mucosal cells. Furthermore, the compounds inhibited Helicobacter pylori growth in a concentration-dependent manner. From these finding it appears that flavonoids are a group of compounds which could have a therapeutic potential for treatment of gastrointestinal diseases associated with Helicobacter pylori infection.