Adherence to standard precautions from the standpoint of the Health Belief Model: the practice of recapping needles / Adesão às precauções padrão sob o prisma do Modelo de Crenças em Saúde: a prática de reencapar agulhas

The aim of this study was to applythe Health Belief Model to explain the adherence to the recommendation not to recap needles by dentists and dental assistants of the public health system in a municipality in the State of São Paulo. A questionnaire validated and adapted for the oral health area was used, which included variables related to the frequency of recapping and health beliefs using Likert-type scales. The relationship between beliefs and adherence to the recommendation not to recap needles was obtained by regression analysis. Of all the professionals in this study (n=79), the majority (83.5%) reported recapping needles at least once in the last month. Through regression analysis, it was observed that the relationship between the beliefs described by the model and the attitude whether or not to follow the recommendation not to recap needles was explained by a lower perception of psychological barriers and a greater perception of stimuli not to recap needles. The conclusion reached is that the acceptance of recommendations to prevent working accidents with biological material was explained by some dimensions of the Health Belief Model, enabling discussion about reformulation of training offered to professionals of the public health system.

Objetivou-se neste estudo aplicar o Modelo de Crenças em Saúde a fim de explicar a adesão à recomendação de não reencapar agulhas por cirurgiões-dentistas e auxiliares de saúde bucal da rede pública de um município paulista. Utilizou-se um questionário validado e adaptado para a área de saúde bucal, que contemplava variáveis relativas à frequência do reencape e crenças em saúde, por meio de escalas tipo Likert. A relação entre as crenças e a adesão à recomendação de não reencapar agulhas foi obtida por meio da análise de regressão. Da amostra de profissionais obtida por adesão ao estudo (n = 79), a maioria (83,5%) relatou ter reencapado agulhas pelo menos alguma vez no último mês. Por meio da análise de regressão, foi observado que a relação entre as crenças descritas pelo modelo e a atitude de aderir ou não à recomendação de não reencapar agulhas foi explicada por uma menor percepção de barreiras psicológicas e por uma maior percepção de estímulos para não reencapar agulhas. Conclui-se que a aceitação das recomendações para prevenir acidentes do trabalho com material biológico foi explicado por algumas dimensões do Modelo de Crenças em Saúde, possibilitando a discussão sobre a reformulação de capacitações oferecidas para profissionais do sistema público de saúde.

Correlation between growth in antibiotic-medium and hemolytic activity of group C and G streptococci.

The effect of a subminimal inhibitory concentration of penicillin on the production of bound and free hemolysins by streptococci was examined using sheep red blood cells. A marked decrease of a group C cell-free and bound activities was observed with penicillin at a concentration of 1/3 of the MIC whereas an increase was observed with those of a group G strain. Potassium ferricyanide and anti-streptolysin O (group A streptococcus) were strongly inhibitory for the free activities of both strains. The cell-bound activities were stimulated by addition of RNA during bacterial growth in control cultures and also in drug-containing media.

Cysteine labeling studies of beef heart aconitase containing a 4Fe, a cubane 3Fe, or a linear 3Fe cluster.

The reactivity of cysteines following cluster destruction by iron chelation was investigated for [4Fe-4S]2+ and cubane [3Fe-4S]+ beef heart aconitase. When the chelator orthobathophenanthroline disulfonate was used, the formation of sulfur-sulfur bonds and the retention of inorganic sulfur from the cluster was observed. For both the 4Fe and 3Fe forms of aconitase, the two cysteines in peptide 7, the cysteine in peptide 3, and the cysteine in peptide 2 were found as the primary constituents of sulfur-sulfur bonds (the peptide sequences and nomenclature are from Plank, D. W., and Howard, J. B. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 8184-8189). Three of these four cysteines (peptides 3 and 7) correlated with those proposed to be cluster ligands recently determined by x-ray crystallography (Robbins, A. H. and Stout, C. D. (1989) Proteins, in press; Robbins, A. H., and Stout, C. D.,, (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 86, 3639-3643) for pig heart aconitase. A mechanism is proposed whereby the greater affinity of orthobathophenanthroline disulfonate for Fe2+ relative to Fe3+ shifts the equilibrium toward reduction of ferric iron through sulfur-sulfur bond formation at the cluster site. Aconitase which has been oxidized with ferricyanide and from which the cluster iron has been removed by EDTA has been shown to have two di- or polysulfides (Kennedy, M. C., and Beinert, H. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 8194-8198). The cysteines found in the sulfur-sulfur bonds generated by this treatment also were predominantly those from peptides 3 and 7. In addition, the putative thiol ligands for the linear [3Fe-4S]+ cluster of aconitase are reported. The four cysteines of peptides 7 and 9 (two in each peptide) were found to be protected by the cluster from alkylation when the protein was denatured. The difference in the ligands between the cubane and linear forms indicates that a specific thiol exchange occurs during the conversion.

DNA alterations induced by the carbon-centered radical derived from the oxidation of 2-phenylethylhydrazine.

The possible significance of carbon-centered radicals in hydrazine-induced carcinogenesis is explored by studies of the interaction between the 2-phenylethyl radical and DNA. The radical is efficiently generated during oxidation of phenelzine (2-phenylethylhydrazine) promoted by oxyhemoglobin or ferricyanide, as demonstrated by spin-trapping experiments and analysis of the reaction products. In the ferricyanide promoted oxidation, ethylbenzene formation accounts for about 40% of the initial drug concentration, from 5 to 100 mM phenelzine. By contrast, product formation in the presence of oxyhemoglobin depends on the enzyme concentration due to the fact that the prosthetic heme is destroyed during catalytic turnover. Covalent binding of the 2-phenylethyl radical to oxyhemoglobin is demonstrated by experiments with 2-[3H]phenelzine, where tritium incorporation to the protein is inhibited by the spin-trap, alpha-(4-pyridyl-1-oxide)-N-tert-butylnitrone. The 2-phenylethyl radical is also able to alkylate DNA as suggested by electrophoretic studies with plasmid DNA, and proved by experiments with 2-[3H]-phenelzine. The carbon-centered radical has a preference for attacking guanine residues as demonstrated by the use of sequencing techniques with 32P-DNA probes. The results indicate that the 2-phenylethyl radical is an important product of phenelzine oxidation and that this species can directly damage protein and DNA.

Methotrexate: studies on cellular metabolism. III.--Effect on the transplasma-membrane redox activity and on ferricyanide-induced proton extrusion by HeLa cells.

The effect of methotrexate (MTX) on transplasma-membrane electron transport and ferricyanide-induced proton extrusion by HeLa cells was studied. Both systems were inhibited by MTX. It is suggested that inhibition of electron transport and proton extrusion caused by MTX could be associated with other metabolic alterations such as response to the increase in NADH levels and decrease in intracellular pH.

Ca2+-induced phosphatidylcholine vesicle aggregation in the presence of ferricyanide.

The titration of sonicated vesicles of egg phosphatidylcholine with ferricyanide in the presence of Ca2+ results in the formation of aggregates. The turbidity increase caused by these aggregates cannot be reversed by EDTA treatment. In addition, no rearrangement of the bilayer structure has been found in this process, either measuring leakage of vesicle content or exchange of lipids among the bilayers themselves. The aggregation is dependent on the Ca2+ content of the vesicles, the outer Ca2+ and Fe(CN)3-(6) concentration and the order of addition of Ca2+ and ferricyanide. The results can be explained by a specific adsorption of Fe(CN)3-(6) to bilayers of sonicated vesicles, in contrast to other multivalent anions. In contrast to the stability found with sonicated vesicles, the aggregation causes a leakage of the internal solution when multilamellar liposomes are titrated with Fe(CN)3-(6).

Effects of sodium nitroprusside on potassium induced contracture in isolated vascular smooth muscle

Se investigaron los efectos de nitroprusiato de sodio sobre la actividad contráctil isométrica (TCI) y sobre la contractura inducida por ClK 60 mM en vena porta aislada de rata e incubada en condiciones en que se modifican el influjo y eflujo de calcio. En condiciones control (medio (KRB) la TCI fue de 10.61ñ0.56mN(n=13). La adición de concentraciones crecientes de NPS (no acumulativas) disminuyó la TCI de manera dosis dependente directa. El componente tónico de la contractura inducida por ClK 60 mM decayó en un 27.04ñ10.9% (n=6) depués del agregado de NPS 10-4M. El efecto relajante de la droga fue más pronunciado en presencia de nifedipina 10-10M (72.35ñ7.5% de inhibición). La sensibilidad de la preparación a NPS se redujo fuertemente en condiciones en que el eflujo de Ca+2 estaba disminuido (medio pobre en sodio = KRB sucrosa). Los experimentos aquí presentados apoyan la hipótesis de que el efecto vasodilatador de NPS podría ser atribuido a un incrementado eflujo del catión

Effects of sodium nitroprusside on potassium induced contracture in isolated vascular smooth muscle

Se investigaron los efectos de nitroprusiato de sodio sobre la actividad contráctil isométrica (TCI) y sobre la contractura inducida por ClK 60 mM en vena porta aislada de rata e incubada en condiciones en que se modifican el influjo y eflujo de calcio. En condiciones control (medio (KRB) la TCI fue de 10.61ñ0.56mN(n=13). La adición de concentraciones crecientes de NPS (no acumulativas) disminuyó la TCI de manera dosis dependente directa. El componente tónico de la contractura inducida por ClK 60 mM decayó en un 27.04ñ10.9% (n=6) depués del agregado de NPS 10-4M. El efecto relajante de la droga fue más pronunciado en presencia de nifedipina 10-10M (72.35ñ7.5% de inhibición). La sensibilidad de la preparación a NPS se redujo fuertemente en condiciones en que el eflujo de Ca+2 estaba disminuido (medio pobre en sodio = KRB sucrosa). Los experimentos aquí presentados apoyan la hipótesis de que el efecto vasodilatador de NPS podría ser atribuido a un incrementado eflujo del catión (AU)

Effects of sodium nitroprusside on potassium induced contracture in isolated vascular smooth muscle.

The present study investigates the effects of Sodium Nitroprusside (SNP) on isometric developed tension (IDT) and tonic component of K+ induced contracture of rat portal vein. The availability of activator calcium for the contraction was modified by changing the ionic composition of the Krebs Ringer bicarbonate medium (KRB) or by using pharmacological agents such as nifedipine or KCl. In control conditions (KRB media) magnitude of IDT was 10.61 +/- 0.56 mN (n = 13). Addition of increasing concentrations of SNP (non cumulative) diminished IDT in a dose related manner. Tonic component of 60 mM KCl evoked contracture decayed 27.04 +/- 10.9% (n = 6) after 10(-4)M SNP incubation. Relaxant effect of SNP was more pronounced in the presence of nifedipine 10(-10)M (72.35 +/- 7.5% of inhibition, n = 6). The sensitivity of the preparation to SNP was strongly reduced in conditions of diminished Ca+2 efflux (slow sodium media = KRB sucrose). Experiments here presented support the hypothesis that the vasodilator effect of SNP could be attributed to an enhanced Ca+2 efflux from the vessel.