Methods to Evaluate Alterations in Polyamine Metabolism Caused by Helicobacter pylori Infection

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacteria that infects the human stomach of half of the world’s ­population. Colonization is followed by infiltration of the gastric mucosa by lymphocytes and myeloid cells. These cells are activated by various bacterial factors, causing them to produce immune/inflammatory mediators, including reactive nitrogen species and polyamines that contribute to cellular damage and the pathogenesis of H. pylori-associated gastric cancer. In vitro experiments have revealed that H. pylori induces macrophage polyamine production by upregulation of the arginase 2/ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) metabolic pathway and enhances hydrogen peroxide synthesis through the activity of spermidine oxidase (SMO). In this chapter, we present a survey of the methods used to analyze the induction and the role of the enzymes related to polyamine metabolism, i.e., arginase, ODC, and SMO in H. pylori-infected macrophages.