In Vitro Proliferation Model of Helicobacter pylori Required for Large-Scale Cultivation

The composition of dissolved gases and nutrients in a liquid medium were determined for establishment of the optimum conditions for in vitro culture of Helicobacter pylori. A microaerobic condition facored by the organism was prepared by adjusting the partial pressure of the gas, agitation speed, and viscosity of the medium. The gaseous concentrations were controlled by utilizing CampyPak Plus that reduced oxygen while augmenting carbon dioxide. Agitation of the broth facilitated the oxygen transfer to the cells, yet inhibited the growth at high rates. An increase of viscosity in the medium repressed the culture although this variable was relatively insignificant. The chemical constituents of the liquid broth were examined to establish an economic model for H. pylori cultivation. The microbe required a neutral pH for optimum growth, and yet was also able to proliferate in an acidic condition, presumably by releasing the acidity-modulating enzyme, urease. Cyclodextrin and casamino acid were investigated as growth enhancers in place of serum, while yeast extract unexpectedly inhibited the cells. A low concentration of glucose, the unique carbon source for the organism, increased the cell density, yet high concentrations resulted in an adverse effect. Under optimally dissolved gas conditions, the cell concentration in brucella broth supplemented with serum substitutes and glucose reached $1.6{\times}10^8$ viable cells/ml which was approximately 50% higher than that obtained in the liquid medium added with only cyclodextrin or serum.