Abstract

To study whether silkworm pupae powder (SPP) containing recombinant Helicobacter pylori urease B subunit (rUreB) could show immune prophylactic and therapeutic effect against H. pylori infection using a mouse model. The findings demonstrated that the mice were protected significantly from H. pylori infection based on the results of biopsy urease tests, biopsy bacterial culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test with biopsy specimens of mice stomachs and histological grade assessment of H. pylori colonization and gastritis with tissue section stains. The colonization of H. pylori was obviously decreased and the gastritis was significantly improved after oral vaccination with SPP containing rUreB, which increased the content levels of specific anti-urease serum IgG for both prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination protocols. These results showed that SPP containing rUreB could be used as direct edible antigen in the development of an oral vaccine against H. pylori infection.

Key words: Helicobacter pylori urease B subunit (rUreB), prophylactic and therapeutic effect, oral vaccine