Helicobacter pylori is killed by nitrite under acidic conditions
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Due to the expression of urease, Helicobacter pylori is able to establish itself in the human stomach under acidic conditions. A novel host defence mechanism was recently proposed, suggesting that the formation of salivary nitrite in symbiosis with facultative anaerobic bacteria in the oropharynx, is aimed at enhancing the antimicrobial activity of gastric juice. AIMS: To investigate whether the addition of nitrite in physiological concentrations influences the resistance of H pylori to acid. METHODS: H pylori cultured from fresh gastric Biopsy specimens was exposed for 30 minutes to normal saline and to HCl/KCl buffer (0.2M) at pH 2 with urea (5 mM) added. The influence of potassium nitrite (50-1000 mumol/l) on bacterial survival was determined. RESULTS: Addition of nitrite (1 mM) to acidic solutions (pH 2) resulted in complete kill of H pylori within 30 minutes exposure time whereas acid alone allowed the organism to survive (p < 0.001). The antimicrobial effect of nitrite at pH 2 against H pylori was dose dependent and complete kill of organisms occurred at concentrations > or = 500 mumol/l. CONCLUSION: Acidified nitrite has anti-bacterial activity against H pylori. This should prompt further research into the effect of salivary nitrite on the survival of H pylori in the human stomach.
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In vitro studies have shown that gastric juice and nitrite have markedly better antimicrobial effects on known enteropathogens compared with gastric juice alone.
“Indeed, in vitro studies have shown that gastric juice and nitrite have markedly better antimicrobial effects on known enteropathogens compared with gastric juice alone.9,59 -62”
From Nitrate-Nitrite-Nitric Oxide Pathway: Implications for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care (2010) · cites this paper as [61]
The Abstract and results table report that adding nitrite to an acidic solution containing urea killed H. pylori in vitro, whereas organisms survived in the same solution without nitrite. The experiment used an HCl/KCl buffer rather than gastric juice and directly tested H. pylori, not multiple enteropathogens. The paper discusses findings for other gut pathogens but does not present those experiments as its own. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAcidified nitrite exhibits bactericidal action against several pathogens in other tissue compartments including the skin, dental caries, and gastric mucosa.
“Acidified nitrite also exhibits bactericidal action against several pathogens in other tissue compartments including the skin, dental caries, and gastric mucosa [201–206].”
From Inorganic nitrite therapy: historical perspective and future directions (2011) · cites this paper as [205]
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- Authors
- Dykhuizen, R. S., Fraser, A., McKenzie, H., Golden, M., Leifert, C., & Benjamin, N.
- Affiliations
- St Bartholomew's Hospital (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Dykhuizen, R S
- Venue
- Gut
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 1998-03-01
- Volume
- 42
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 334-337
- ISSN
- 0017-5749 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-3288
- PMC
- PMC1727019
- OpenAlex
- W2125585698
- Cited by
- 131
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 5.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Gut (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Helicobacter pylori-related gastroenterology studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Gastroenterology › Gastrointestinal motility and disorders
- Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
- Keywords
- Helicobacter pylori, nitrite, acid resistance, gastric acidity, urease, salivary nitrite, potassium nitrite, gastric juice, bacterial survival
- MeSH terms
- Anti-Bacterial Agents, Bacteriological Techniques, Humans, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Nitrites, Urea, Helicobacter pylori
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