Delayed healing of chronic gastric ulcer after Helicobacter pylori infection in mice.

It has been suggested that there is a close relationship between Helicobacter pylori and the onset or recurrence of gastroduodenal disease. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of H. pylori on the healing of chronic gastric ulcers induced in mice. H. pylori administered to nude mice delayed the healing of experimental acetic acid-induced gastric ulcers. Histological examination showed the occurrence of high densities of H. pylori on the surface of epithelial cells and in the ulcerated area. Repeated administration of amoxicillin (10 mgkg(-1) daily for 5 days) eradicated H. pylori and increased the rate of healing of gastric ulcers in H. pylori-infected mice, but metronidazole, which also eradicated the organisms, did not significantly affect the rate of healing. In conclusion, H. pylori-infection delayed the healing of gastric ulcers induced by the serosal application of acetic acid in mice, possibly by aggravation or prolongation of the mucosal inflammation. Amoxicillin eradicated H. pylori and promoted gastric ulcer healing in mice infected with H. pylori.