The gastric mucosa tissues used in this experiment are from the stomachs of Mongolian gerbils. The Mongolian gerbil has been regarded as an excellent host for H. pylori, as it closely resembles gastric activity (ie. gastritis) in humans . But most importantly, it is the only animal in which persistent H. pylori-induced gastritis could progress to gastric cancer .

The gerbil model was initially developed by researchers in Japan, who were able to successfully colonize gerbils with H. pylori infection. This model is consistent in its capability to act as a successful host for H. pylori. Other animal models such as monkeys , piglets , and mice were not consistent in their ability to act as hosts to H. pylori .

The gerbils used in this experiment were all males, and sacrificed by professionals at McMaster University. They were all euthanized 60 weeks post-H. pylori infection. BrdU was incorporated into the cells at the S phase of the cell proliferation cycle. Therefore, BrdU was injected into the live gerbils intraperitoneally at a concentration of 100mg/kg, one hour before the euthanasia. Animals in the high salt diet group received a solid diet that contained 8% NaCl for 60+ weeks. The normal diet group and controls received a diet containing normal rodent feed (1.0 % NaCl).