PINE NANOCELLULOSE AND BACTERIAL NANOCELLULOSE DRESSINGS ARE SIMILAR IN THE TREATMENT OF SECOND-DEGREE BURN? EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN RATS.

Background: Crusts in 7th follow-up day: G1 yes; G2 no; G3 no (left to right). Bespite all the advances in medicine and the wide variety of dressings available, the treatment of burn wounds still represents an important medical challenge. The pinus cellulose membrane dressing is a biomaterial with characteristics similar to those of bacterial cellulose, but with lower cost.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of pinus nanocellulose membrane on healing of deep second degree burns in rats and compare with Membracel®.

Method: Thirty male Wistar rats were submitted to deep second degree burn in dorse, with boiling water at 97o C for 20 s, generating a 314 mm² area wound. The animals were distributed in three dressing groups (n=10): group 1 - simple gauze; group 2 - bacterial cellulose membrane (Membracel®); and group 3 - pinus cellulose membrane. They were evaluated for 20 days to verify clinical condition, macro and microscopic appearance and wound contraction.

Results: All of them remained clinically well with no differences in weight. Crusts were observed in group 1, and none in groups 2 and 3. Regarding to scar contraction, groups 2 and 3 were similar, better than group 1. Microscopic analysis showed predominance of advanced healing degree in groups 1 and 3, and initial in group 2. Mature collagen was predominant in all groups.

Conclusion: The pinus nanocellulose membrane is effective in the treatment of experimental second degree burn in rats and its effectiveness is similar to that of the bacterial nanocellular membrane.