How do Lactobacilli treat Helicobacter pylori-related diseases?
Some studies have demonstrated H. pylori stimulates the release of interleukin-8 (IL-8) from gastric epithelia, which initiates inflammatory damage to gastric mucosa and plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of H. pylori infections. H. pylori lipopolysaccharide (H. pylori-LPS) is the major initiator in H. pylori-induced IL-8 production via activation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway in gastric epithelia. Considering the novel finding that H. pylori is an indigenous biota in gastric microflora including Lactobacilli and hypothesis that the disturbance of gastric microecosystem plays a more important role in pathogenetic mechanisms of H. pylori, the eradiation of H. pylori doesn't seem justified to everyone. The speculation on validity of restoration of the gastric microecosystem has been demonstrated by therapeutic effects of Lactobacilli administration on H. pylori-associated diseases. But whether Lactobacilli inhibit H. pylori-LPS-induced IL-8 production through blocking H. pylori-LPS-activated TLR4 pathway hasn't been well researched.