Ultrastructure Characteristics of Different Chinese Medicine Syndromes of Helicobacter pylori-Correlated Gastric Diseases

Objective To explore the ultrastructure characteristics of patients with dampness-heat of Pi (Spleen)-Wei (Stomach) syndrome (DHPW) and Pi-qi deficiency syndrome (PQD), both of which are Helicobacter pylori ( Hp )-correlated gastric diseases (HPCG), and implicate a helpful hint for the clinical microcosmic syndrome differentiation. Methods Fourteen gastric mucosa samples from 6 chronic gastritis (CG) and 6 active peptic ulcer (including 8 DHPW, 4 PQD) as well as 2 healthy volunteers were collected and tested for Hp infection. The ultrastructure of gastric mucosa was observed under the transmission electron microscope (TEM). Results Among 14 gastric mucosa samples, 8 of them were Hp positive (6 DHPW and 2 PQD), which were all accordance with the results screened by supermicro-pathological method. Under TEM, the normal gastric mucosa, with tidy microvilli and abundant in mucus granules, mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum distributed evenly, and with smooth nucleus membrane. But in those specimens of DHPW with Hp infection, microvilli were presented with burr shape. Especially, those samples from dampness-heat syndrome with predominant heat type (DHSH) patients were more obvious, with microvilli damaged, mitochondria concentrated and distributed in disorder, secretory tubule extended. In dampness-heat syndrome with predominant dampness type (DHSD) patients, mucus granules aggregated obviously, mitochondria swelled and blurred, and rough endoplasmic reticulum crowded. For 2 samples of DHPW without Hp infection, their microvilli were intact, with mitochondria increased and gathered but well-distributed, and secretory tubule extended mildly. In 2 PQD patients with Hp positive, the specimens of microvilli were sparse, and their mucus granules and mitochondria were decreased, with fractured crests and vacuole, secretory tubules extension to nucleus membrane, and rough endoplasmic reticulum extension in a pool-like way, and nucleus condensed. The 2 samples from PQD patients without Hp infection were characterized with intact microvilli, decreased mitochondria, fractured crest and extended rough endoplasmic reticulum in a pool-like way. Conclusion It’s obviously different in ultrastructure of DHPW and PQD patients under TEM, which may give a helpful hint for the microcosmic syndrome differentiation of HPCG.