title: Bacterial concentrations determine the ability to implant in the root canal system and translocate to lymph nodes in germ-free mice.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the infecting dose on bacterial colonization in root canal systems (RCS) and translocation to the submandibular lymph node (SML) of gnotobiotic (germ-free) mice. RCS were inoculated with 10(2) and 10(1) colony-forming units (CFU) of Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 4083) or 10(5), 10(4), 10(3), and 10(2) CFU of Prevotella nigrescens (ATCC 33563). E. faecalis implanted in 83.3% of the cases, for both inocula. Translocation was detected in 58.3% of lymph nodes for the 10(2) CFU inoculum and in 33.3% of lymph nodes for the 10(1) CFU inoculum. P. nigrescens implanted in 25%, 16.7%, 8.3%, and 0%, for the 10(5), 10(4), 10(3), and 10(2) CFU inocula, respectively, and did not translocate at any of the concentrations used. These results indicate that E. faecalis was able to implant in the RCS and translocate to the SML, whereas P. nigrescens implanted in lower percentages in the RCS and did not translocate to the SML.
authors.affiliation: Dental School/Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sandra Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: de Melo Maltos
authors.forename: Antônio Paulino
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ribeiro Sobrinho
authors.forename: Fernanda Veloso
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Jacques Robert
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Nicoli
authors.forename: Maria Auxiliadora
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Roque de Carvalho
authors.forename: Leda Quercia
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Luiz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Macêdo Farias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018988:Bacterial Translocation / Q000502:physiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000382:microbiology*; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005856:Germ-Free Life; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009333:Neck; D018720:Prevotella / Q000502:physiology*