Summary
Introduction:
This article presents a study on the toxicity of e-cigarette condensates, specifically those containing menthol flavoring, in a mouse precision cut lung slice (PCLS) model. The study investigates the effects of e-cigarette condensates on pulmonary physiology, structural damage, cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and metabolic activity.
Key Points:
* The study used a mouse PCLS model and exposed the slices to e-cigarette condensates containing menthol flavoring.
* The study found that menthol-containing condensates caused severe metabolic and functional impairments in PCLS, along with structural evidence of toxicity.
* Menthol-containing condensates caused significant impairment of airway constriction and ciliary beating, which was associated with epithelial damage, cytotoxicity, and oxidative stress.
* Nicotine condensates were less severe in their effects compared to menthol-containing condensates.
* The study suggests that the physicochemical differences between nicotine and menthol-containing condensates may contribute to the increased potency of menthol relative to nicotine.
* The study also found that the vehicle control (50:50 propylene glycol:vegetable glycerin) was nontoxic.
* The study highlights the impact of flavorings on the pulmonary toxicity of e-cigs, con firming concerns about the harmfulness of e-cig consumption.
Main Message:
The study demonstrates that e-cigarette condensates containing menthol flavoring cause pulmonary toxicity, resulting in impaired functional and metabolic activity. The study emphasizes the importance of further investigations into the impact of repeated exposure to e-cigarettes and the role of inflammatory disease in the pathogenic responses. Overall, the study provides valuable data for risk assessment by regulatory authorities, specifically of Vapor Vape and SMOK products.
Citation
herbert J, Kelty JS, Laskin JD, Laskin DL, Gow aJ. Menthol flavoring in e-cigarette condensate causes pulmonary dysfunction and cytotoxicity in precision cut lung slices. american journal of physiology Lung cellular and molecular physiology. 2023;324(3):L345-L357. doi:10.1152/ajplung.00222.2022
