Ing index of epithelial cells using anti-mouse Ki-67 antibody (Dako, Hamburg, Germany). Immunohistochemistry for Ctsz and Title Loaded From File cathepsin B (Ctsb) was performed using goat anti-mouse Cathepsin B antibody and goat anti-mouse Cathepsin X/Z antibody (R D Systems, Wiesbaden, Germany), respectively. Scoring was done according to the criteria of Rogers et al. (2005) with ascending scales from 0 to 5 for gastric lesions [23]. Labeled nuclei and F4/80-positive cells in proximal corpus were counted per visual field at 200x magnification. Density and distribution of H. pylori were semiquantitatively assessed using Warthin-Starry staining (score 0?). All histological and immunohistological sections were read in a blinded manner. A Nanozoomer Digital Pathology System (Hamamatsu, Herrsching, Germany) was used for archiving whole slide images at 0.23 mm/pixel resolution.Primary Gastric Epithelial CellsFor the isolation of primary gastric 16574785 epithelial cells, uninfected wt and ctsz2/2 mice were sacrified at 12 to 20 weeks, stomachs were removed and immediately cleaned in RPMI 1640 medium (Invitrogen, Karlsruhe, Germany). The stomachs were cut into small pieces (1? mm2) and incubated by constant stirring in 25 ml collagenase (Sigma)/dispase (Invitrogen) solution (12.000 U collagenase I, 125 U dispase, 125 mg BSA per 100 ml Quantum 286) for 2 hours at 37uC. Plates were precoated with MatrigelTM (5 ml/ml; BD Biosciences, Germany). Dispersed cells were washed and resuspended in epithelial cell culture medium Quantum 286 (PAA, Linz, Austria) supplemented with Gentamycin (10 mg/ml), Penecillin/Streptomycin (5 mg/ml, Invitrogen, Karlsruhe, Germany), and seeded onto Matrigel-coated plates (Biochrom, Berlin, Germany) [17].Protein Extraction and Western BlottingFrozen tissue samples and primary epithelial cells were homogenized in a phosphate buffer at pH 6.0 (50 mM sodium phosphate, 0.2 M NaCl, 5 mM EDTA, 100 mM E-64, 1 mM PMSF) by sonication. For the preparation of membrane and cytoplasmic fractions, a special H decreasing inflammatorycytokines has been reported [13]. In our study, by using protocol of Backert et al. was used [24]. Protein contents were measured in all samples using the BioRad DC Protein Assay (Bio-Rad, Hercules, Ca). Fifty mg protein was separated by SDS-PAGE and blotted onto nitrocellulose membranes. The membranes were blocked with 3 dry milk in TBS/Tween and incubated for 2 hours at RT with goat antimouse cathepsin X/Z antibody (1:500) and goat anti-mouse cathepsin B antibody (1:500), which do not crossreact with other cathepsins (R D Systems) as well as with mouse anti-CagA (1:400, Aalto) and rabbit anti-mouse actin (1:1000, Sigma). This is followed by incubation with the secondary, peroxidase-conjugated antibody (1:25,000, R D Systems) for 30 min. SuperSignalH chemiluminescence substrate (Milipore, Schwalbach, Germany) was used for detection. A MagicMark standard (Invitrogen, Karlsruhe, Germany) was used to identify the molecular weights. The ECL images were acquired and quantified using the GeneGnome and GeneTools image scanning and analysis package (Syngene BioImaging Systems, Synoptics Ltd.).Cultivation of Helicobacter PyloriThe H. pylori strains SS1 (Sydney Strain 1) and B128, both mouse-adapted strains, were cultured in thin layers on 10 horse serum agar plates supplemented with vancomycin (10 mg/ml), trimethoprim (5 mg/ml), and nystatin (1 mg/ml), and incubated for 48 hours at 37uC in an anaerobic jar containing a campygen gas mix of 5 O2, 10 CO2, and 85 N2 (Oxoid, Wesel, Germany) as previously reported [21]. The H.Ing index of epithelial cells using anti-mouse Ki-67 antibody (Dako, Hamburg, Germany). Immunohistochemistry for Ctsz and cathepsin B (Ctsb) was performed using goat anti-mouse Cathepsin B antibody and goat anti-mouse Cathepsin X/Z antibody (R D Systems, Wiesbaden, Germany), respectively. Scoring was done according to the criteria of Rogers et al. (2005) with ascending scales from 0 to 5 for gastric lesions [23]. Labeled nuclei and F4/80-positive cells in proximal corpus were counted per visual field at 200x magnification. Density and distribution of H. pylori were semiquantitatively assessed using Warthin-Starry staining (score 0?). All histological and immunohistological sections were read in a blinded manner. A Nanozoomer Digital Pathology System (Hamamatsu, Herrsching, Germany) was used for archiving whole slide images at 0.23 mm/pixel resolution.Primary Gastric Epithelial CellsFor the isolation of primary gastric 16574785 epithelial cells, uninfected wt and ctsz2/2 mice were sacrified at 12 to 20 weeks, stomachs were removed and immediately cleaned in RPMI 1640 medium (Invitrogen, Karlsruhe, Germany). The stomachs were cut into small pieces (1? mm2) and incubated by constant stirring in 25 ml collagenase (Sigma)/dispase (Invitrogen) solution (12.000 U collagenase I, 125 U dispase, 125 mg BSA per 100 ml Quantum 286) for 2 hours at 37uC. Plates were precoated with MatrigelTM (5 ml/ml; BD Biosciences, Germany). Dispersed cells were washed and resuspended in epithelial cell culture medium Quantum 286 (PAA, Linz, Austria) supplemented with Gentamycin (10 mg/ml), Penecillin/Streptomycin (5 mg/ml, Invitrogen, Karlsruhe, Germany), and seeded onto Matrigel-coated plates (Biochrom, Berlin, Germany) [17].Protein Extraction and Western BlottingFrozen tissue samples and primary epithelial cells were homogenized in a phosphate buffer at pH 6.0 (50 mM sodium phosphate, 0.2 M NaCl, 5 mM EDTA, 100 mM E-64, 1 mM PMSF) by sonication. For the preparation of membrane and cytoplasmic fractions, a special protocol of Backert et al. was used [24]. Protein contents were measured in all samples using the BioRad DC Protein Assay (Bio-Rad, Hercules, Ca). Fifty mg protein was separated by SDS-PAGE and blotted onto nitrocellulose membranes. The membranes were blocked with 3 dry milk in TBS/Tween and incubated for 2 hours at RT with goat antimouse cathepsin X/Z antibody (1:500) and goat anti-mouse cathepsin B antibody (1:500), which do not crossreact with other cathepsins (R D Systems) as well as with mouse anti-CagA (1:400, Aalto) and rabbit anti-mouse actin (1:1000, Sigma). This is followed by incubation with the secondary, peroxidase-conjugated antibody (1:25,000, R D Systems) for 30 min. SuperSignalH chemiluminescence substrate (Milipore, Schwalbach, Germany) was used for detection. A MagicMark standard (Invitrogen, Karlsruhe, Germany) was used to identify the molecular weights. The ECL images were acquired and quantified using the GeneGnome and GeneTools image scanning and analysis package (Syngene BioImaging Systems, Synoptics Ltd.).Cultivation of Helicobacter PyloriThe H. pylori strains SS1 (Sydney Strain 1) and B128, both mouse-adapted strains, were cultured in thin layers on 10 horse serum agar plates supplemented with vancomycin (10 mg/ml), trimethoprim (5 mg/ml), and nystatin (1 mg/ml), and incubated for 48 hours at 37uC in an anaerobic jar containing a campygen gas mix of 5 O2, 10 CO2, and 85 N2 (Oxoid, Wesel, Germany) as previously reported [21]. The H.
