E-cigarette vaping liquids and the flavoring chemical cinnamaldehyde perturb bone, cartilage and vascular development in zebrafish embryos.

Introduction:
This article investigates the potential developmental defects that flavored vaping liquids may have on whole zebrafish embryos. The study focuses on vascular, bone, and cartilage development in transgenic zebrafish embryos exposed to cinnamon flavored vaping liquids and the flavoring chemical cinnamaldehyde.

Key Points:

* The study used two cinnamon flavored vaping liquids, one with nicotine and one without, and exposed zebrafish embryos to a range of concentrations.
* Exposure to both vaping liquids caused developmental defects in the cleithrum, a bone that connects the occipital area of the skull and the pectoral girdle.
* Exposure to the vaping liquids also caused malformations in the viscerocranial cartilages, specifically the palatoquadrate, Meckel's, ceratohyal, ceratobranchial, and hypobranchial arches.
* Exposure to cinnamaldehyde caused similar developmental defects at lower concentrations than the vaping liquids.
* The humectants propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin did not cause any developmental defects at the concentrations tested.
* The study also examined hatching success and found that exposure to both vaping liquids and cinnamaldehyde decreased hatching success.
* The study used three different transgenic zebrafish lines to visualize bone, cartilage, and vascular perturbations in embryos.

Main Message:
The study found that exposure to cinnamon flavored vaping liquids and cinnamaldehyde caused developmental defects in the cleithrum, viscerocranial cartilages, and vasculature of zebrafish embryos. These findings suggest that flavored vaping liquids and cinnamaldehyde may pose a risk to aquatic organisms and developing embryos. It is important to consider the potential environmental impacts of vaping liquids and their components, as their use continues to increase. additionally, further research is needed to fully understand the potential hazards associated with vaping liquids and their components.

Bhattacharya B, Narain V, Bondesson M. E-cigarette vaping liquids and the flavoring chemical cinnamaldehyde perturb bone, cartilage and vascular development in zebrafish embryos. aquatic toxicology (amsterdam, Netherlands). 2021;240:105995. doi:10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.105995