Abstract:Objective To explore the effect of vonoprazan on the eradication rates of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) and gut microbiota.Methods Ninety-two patients with Helicobacter pylori infection treated in our hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 were selected for the study. They were divided into a control group and an observation group based on the treatment method, with 46 patients in each group. Patients in the control group were treated with the quadruple therapy based on the proton pump inhibitor rabeprazole, and the observation group was treated with vonoprazan plus amoxicillin. Both groups were treated for 2 weeks. The time to improvement of ulcers, and eradication rates and recurrence rates of Helicobacter pylori infection were compared between the two groups. The frequencies of normal gastric slow waves, bradygastria, and tachygastria were assessed using electrogastrography. The levels of pepsinogen I (PG Ⅰ) and pepsinogen II (PG Ⅱ) were determined, and the pepsinogen I to pepsinogen II ratio (PGR) was calculated. The gastrointestinal motility and gastric function of the two groups were compared. Stool samples from patients were taken to measure the 16S rDNA copy number using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology. The quantities of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus were compared between the two groups.Results The overall effective rate of the observation group was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The time to improvement of ulcers in the observation group was shorter than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the recurrence rate of Helicobacter pylori infection was lower (P < 0.05) and the eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori was higher in the observation group (P < 0.05). The differences of the levels of PG Ⅰ and PG Ⅱ as well as the PGR before and after the treatment were higher in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The differences of the frequencies of normal gastric slow waves, bradygastria, and tachygastria before and after the treatment in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The differences of the quantities of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus before and after the treatment in the observation group were also higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The overall incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05).Conclusions Vonoprazan effectively increases the eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori in infected patients and improves their gut microbiota composition, significantly contributing to the enhancement in the gastrointestinal function.