High-salt and high-fat diets promote corpus atrophic gastritis in Mongolian gerbils
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori ) infection and high dietary salt are known to be risk factors for gastric cancer. The purpose of this animal study was to determine whether excessive dietary salt and fat promote atrophic gastritis. Twenty-five 13-wk-old male Mongolian gerbils were used in this study. Fifteen animals received oral inoculation with H. pylori at 5 wks of age. All animals were fed a control diet (group C: 0.25% salt), a high-salt diet (group S: 10% salt), or a high-salt, high-fat diet (group SF: 10% salt, 40% fat) for 16 wks starting at the age of 14 wks. Among uninfected animals, the mucosal thickness of the corpus was significantly less in group S than in group C (p <0.01), and the atrophy score was significantly higher in group S than in group C (p <0.05). Among infected animals, the mucosal thickness of the corpus was the least in group SF. The inflammation score was significantly higher in groups S and SF than in group C (both p <0.05). Excessive salt intake appears to promote atrophic gastritis in the corpus in Mongolian gerbils, and high fat intake may increase the effect of salt. (Accepted on January 28, 2010)
