Effects of Helicobacter typhlonius and H. rodentium Infections in IL‐10‐deficient Mice

Murine intestinal infections with Helicobacter typhlonius and/or H. rodentium are endemic within many research facilities. This study was designed to analyze effects of infection with these two Helicobacter species in the C57BL/6 IL‐10‐deficient (IL‐10 −/− ) mouse. Adult IL‐10 −/− mice experimentally infected with H. rodentium and/or H. typhlonius developed inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with the severity of inflammation at 11 weeks post‐infection being: non‐infected (no inflammation) < H. rodentium < H. typhlonius < mixed H. rodentium + H. typhlonius . Helicobacter DNA was detected in gastrointestinal and reproductive organs of infected mice by quantitative real‐time PCR. Infected mice also showed significant differences in pregnancy rates, number of pups born, and pups surviving to weaning compared with non‐infected controls. Treatment with 3 mg amoxicillin, 0.5 mg clarithromycin, 1 mg metronidazole, and 20 μg omeprazole per 5 g chow eradicated Helicobacter infection, ameliorated established IBD, and increased pregnancy rates and pup survival. Results demonstrate the pathogenicity of H. rodentium in a mono‐infection model and suggest a complex role of both Helicobacter and other intestinal microbiota in reproductive success and the development of IBD in susceptible hosts. This work was supported by NIH grant # CA115480.