The testing of an artificial modified bacterial cellulose auricle skeleton in an animal model.

The aim of this study was to assess whether modified bacterial cellulose can be used for an artificial auricle skeleton. INTRODUCTION: The auricle is a part of the external ear. It consists of skin, cartilage, muscles and adipose tissue. The cartilage gives shape to the structure. There are several indications for reconstruction, such as congenital anomalies, mechanical injuries, and burns, and a range of methods have been proposed for the complete reconstruction of the auricle. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A bacterial cellulose membrane, at least 25 mm in thickness, was produced in vitro by Acetobacter xylinum culture. The entire artificial human auricle skeleton was made to scale to allow its implantation into an animal model - Wistar rats. Forty rats were divided into four groups of 10 animals. Each group was assigned a different resection time: 14 days, 30 days, 90 days or 720 days. After each resection, an examination of the artificial skeleton and the tissues surrounding it was conducted. The surgical procedure was based on the Nagata technique. RESULTS: Resection after 14, 30, 90 and 720 days shows the progression of the healing process and integration of the artificial skeleton into the animal body. There are no signs of change in the shape or structure of the skeleton. DISCUSSION: Several surgical techniques and biotechnological methods have been developed over the past few years to improve the results of facial reconstruction. Other approaches can be used to create auricle cartilage, based on scaffolds and chondrocytes. CONCLUSION: My findings indicate that modified bacterial cellulose can be used to form an effective artificial auricle which appears to maintain its shape and elasticity, with no signs of degradation.

Colorectal cancer morbidity in Poland and Japan in the years 1999-2006 - a comparison.

INTRODUCTION: The frequency of colorectal cancer (CRC) is dependent on sex and age. The illness more often affects men than women, and a considerable increase in morbidity is noted after 65 years of age. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of various risk factors on CRC morbidity, statistical data from countries varied in cultural, socioeconomic and biological terms need to be studied. Poland and Japan can serve as examples of such contrasts. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The basis for the analysis of CRC morbidity was statistical data from Poland and Japan gathered in the period 1999-2006. They were expressed in absolute numbers and were related to the total morbidity, as well as morbidity according to sex and age. RESULTS: In the years 1999-2006, the total morbidity in Japan was on average 2.3 times higher than in Poland. The value was 2.5 times higher among men and 2.1 times among women when compared to Poland. In both countries morbidity is closely related to age and it reaches a peak between 65 and 74 years of age. Although the change in morbidity over the period was the same for Poland and Japan, there are considerable differences concerning the sex of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: There is a substantial increase in CRC morbidity in both countries, especially among elderly people, which may point to the predominant influence of environmental factors and population aging in both countries. The much higher increase in morbidity among Polish men when compared to Polish women, not observed in the Japanese population, requires further study.