The Helicobacter pylori protein HspB interferes with Nrf2/Keap1 pathway altering the antioxidant response of Ags cells.

Helicobacter pylori infection causes chronic oxidative stress on gastric mucosa, thereby causing mucosal damage and increasing the risk of gastric adenocarcinoma. Nrf2 is an important transcription factor, regulating the antioxidant response in the cells. Nrf2 signaling is repressed by Keap1 at basal condition and induced by oxidative stress. The aim of our study was to analyze whether the H. pylori proteins interfered in the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway. Gene expression in AGS cells transiently and stably transfected was analyzed by real-time PCR. Immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assays were performed to investigate the ability of H. pylori proteins to interfere with the Nrf2 pathway. We demonstrated that the H. pylori HspB protein interferes with Nrf2/Keap1 pathway. When HspB was transiently transfected in AGS cells, a significant increase in Keap1 gene expression was induced. The same result was observed when AGS cells were HspB stably transfected. In this case, the increase in Keap1 was associated with reduced gene expression of Nrf2, and of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, hemeoxygenase-1, and phase II detoxifying enzyme NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase-1. Immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assays confirmed the ability of HspB protein to interfere with the Nrf2 pathway. Lastly, in HspB-transfected AGS cells, sustained activation of IL-8, COX2, MMP3, and MMP7 was demonstrated. The results here reported suggest that inhibited nuclear translocation of Nrf2, associated with induced inflammation and increased production of MMPs, might represent a condition enhancing the risk of gastric adenocarcinoma.