Helicobacter pylori upregulates prion protein expression in gastric mucosa: A possible link to prion disease

Figure 1 A: Representative RT-PCR and densitometric analysis showing PrPc mRNA expression in the gastric mucosa colonized with H pylori before and after successful eradication therapy (n = 10). Data are expressed as means±SE. ^aP<0.05 vs the control group, ^cP<0.05 vs the expression before eradication therapy; B: Representative immunoblot analysis showing PrPc protein expression in the gastric mucosa colonized with H pylori before and after successful eradication therapy.

Figure 2 Protein expression of PrPc in two gastric cell lines (MKN45 and KATO III); the positive control is from bovine brain.

Figure 3 PrPc protein and mRNA expression in MKN45 cells incubated with increasing doses of gastrin (1-1 000 nmol/L) (A), PGE₂ (1-100 µmol/L) ^aP<0. 05 vs control, ^bP<0.001 vs control, ^cP<0.05 vs control, ^dP<0.001 vs control (B), interleukin 1β (0.1-10 ng/mL) (C and D) or TNF-α (0.1-10 ng/mL) ^aP<0.05 vs control, ^bP<0.001 vs control, ^cP<0.05 vs control (E). Data represent means±SE of three independent experiments. At the mRNA level, the expression of PrPc was normalized to β2-microglobulin and at the protein level to β-actin.