Absence of vertical transmission of Helicobacter pylori in an experimental murine model

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is acquired mainly in early childhood but the precise transmission routes are unclear. This study examined the maternal H. pylori infection status in order to determine the potential of perinatal transmission. These issues were investigated using an experimental murine model, the Mongolian gerbil, which has been reported to be the most suitable laboratory animal model for studying H. pylori. Pregnant Mongolian gerbils, infected experimentally with H. pylori, were divided into two groups. The stomachs of the mother and litters were isolated and assessed for the transmission of H. pylori at the prenatal period (2 weeks after pregnancy) and at the parturition day. The bacterial culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and rapid urease test were used to examine the presence of the transmitted H. pylori. There was no H. pylori observed in any of the fetuses during pregnancy and in the litters at parturition. This suggests that vertical infection during the prenatal period or delivery procedure is unlikely to be route of mother-to-child transmission of a H. pylori infection.