Electronic cigarette exposure causes vascular endothelial dysfunction due to NaDPh oxidase activation and eNOS uncoupling.

They found that long-term e-cig vapor exposure induces impairment of endothelial function and systemic hypertension. Specifically, they used a NO-sensitive fluorescent probe, DaF-FM, to observe nitric oxide (NO) levels in the aorta of mice exposed to e-cig vapor. They found that exposure to e-cig vapor decreased the fluorescence intensity, indicating decreased NO levels, which is associated with endothelial dysfunction. The magnitude of this dysfunction is less compared to air exposure, and the effects are more pronounced in older mice. The document highlights the need for further research to understand the underlying mechanisms by which e-cig vapor exposure induces cardiovascular dysfunction and hypertension.

El-Mahdy Ma, Ewees MG, Eid MS, Mahgoup EM, Khaleel Sa, Zweier JL. Electronic cigarette exposure causes vascular endothelial dysfunction due to NaDPh oxidase activation and eNOS uncoupling. american journal of physiology heart and circulatory physiology. 2022;322(4):h549-h567. doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00460.2021