MUC5AC and neoplasm: Both the metabolic activity (alamarBlue signal) and the OD560 readings after vigorous pipetting were lower after culture with the tumor mucin compared to culture without mucins (p < 0.05, Fig. 1C), and the alamarBlue thus seems to accurately measure H. pylori proliferation even though cultures were only mixed by shaking before and after the addition of alamarBlue.