INHIBITION OF HELICOBACTER-PYLORI AND HELICOBACTER-MUSTELAE BINDING TO LIPID RECEPTORS BY BOVINE COLOSTRUM

Helicobacter pylori, the etiologic agent of chronic-active gastritis a nd duodenal ulcers in humans, and Helicobacter mustelae, a gastric pat hogen in ferrets, bind to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), a constituent of host gastric mucosal cells, and to gangliotetraosylceramide (Gg4) and gangliotriaosylceramide (Gg3). The effect of a bovine colostrum co ncentrate (BCC) on the interaction of H. pylori and H. mustelae to the ir lipid receptors was examined, BCC blocked attachment of both specie s to Gg4, Gg3, and PE, Partial inhibition of binding was observed with native bovine and human colostra, BCC lacked detectable antibodies (b y immunoblotting) to H. pylori surface proteins (adhesins). However, c olostral lipid extracts contained PE and lyso-PE that bound H. pylori in vitro, These results indicate that colostrum can block the binding of Helicobacter species to select lipids and that binding inhibition i s conferred, in part, by colostral PE or PE derivatives, Colostral lip ids may modulate the interaction of H. pylori and other adhesin-expres sing pathogens with their target tissues.