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Although pulp fibroblasts are a major cell type in dental pulp, their roles in microbial recognition and pulpal inflammation are not well-understood. Considering the pivotal role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the recognition of micro-organisms, we hypothesized that TLRs on pulp fibroblasts may induce inflammatory signals in dental pulp. In human pulp fibroblasts, TLR2, 3, 4, and 5 were constitutively expressed. Stimulation of TLR2 and 3 induced the expression of pro-inflammatory genes such as CXCL10, CCL5, and/or Cox-2 in pulp fibroblasts. Interestingly, histamine synergistically activated TLR2-mediated Cox-2 expression and PGE(2) production. The synergistic effect of histamine is mediated by histamine receptor-1 (H1R). Studies on the intra-cellular signaling pathways revealed that p38 activation is required for the synergistic activation of Cox-2 by TLR2 and histamine. Analysis of these data suggests that TLR2 on pulp fibroblasts, in concert with H1R, can induce an inflammatory response during microbial infection in dental pulp.

Aims:  To develop a new instrument of great versatility for recovering micro‐organisms from all types of food samples and to compare the effects with existing sample preparation methods. Methods and Results:  To detach micro‐organisms from large‐size unbroken food samples such as apples, carrots, potatoes and tomatoes without preprocessing, the Spindle apparatus was newly developed. The Spindle was used to effectively detach micro‐organisms from large‐size samples. In a comparative study involving 51 food samples, treatment with the Spindle and Stomacher showed that recovery of total aerobic micro‐organisms (naturally occurring mesophilic microflora) and foodborne pathogens (from samples inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes) for both methods was highly correlated (R2 = 0·98). Furthermore, diluents treated by the Spindle contained much less food debris than those treated by stomaching. Conclusions:  These results indicate that Spindle is a novel, effective alternative method for detaching micro‐organisms from food samples including four kinds of large‐size samples without the need for preprocessing. Significance and Impact of Study:  The Spindle might be used to widely detaching micro‐organisms from all types of food samples for microbiological assay.