E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-associated Lung Injury Produced in an animal Model From Electronic Cigarette Vapor Exposure Without Tetrahydrocannabinol or Vitamin E Oil.

Introduction:
This text discusses a study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, and the huntington Medical Research Institutes on an animal model of E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-associated Lung Injury (EVaLI) produced from electronic cigarette vapor exposure without tetrahydrocannabinol (ThC) or vitamin E oil. The study found that an experimental form of EVaLI was induced in a rodent model without these additives, under controlled laboratory conditions, which reproduces many of the clinical findings in humans with EVaLI. The study's main objective was to investigate the effects of eC vapor, tobacco smoke, and air on rat cardiovascular physiology and pathology, and to compare the effects of eC vapor with and without nicotine.

Key Points:

* The study used a rodent model and exposed rats to eC vapor generated from propylene glycol/vegetable glycerin (50% each) plus tobacco flavor and without nicotine, using a nickel-chromium alloy (NC) heating element.
* The study found that 14 out of 18 rats exposed to eC vapor using NC heating units developed clinical acute respiratory distress, characterized by labored mouth breathing, lack of activity, and audible wheezing.
* histology was performed for 19 rats euthanized after the first few days of exposure, and the results showed that two out of seven rats exposed to the NC heating unit at 70W showed pneumonitis, with scores of 5 and 4.
* The study also found that four out of seven rats exposed to the NC heating unit at 70W showed multiple foci of pulmonary inflammatory cells, and one out of two rats in the NC heating unit and 60W group showed small foci of inflammation.
* The study concludes that an EVaLI-like condition can be induced in an animal model after exposure to tobacco-flavored propylene glycol/vegetable glycerin, operated at high power setting and heated with a nichrome heating coil, without the addition of ThC, vitamin E acetate, or nicotine.
* The study suggests that chemical composition of vapor, reactive oxygen species, and particle size may all play a role in the development of EVaLI-like symptoms.
* The study's findings highlight the potential danger of operating eC units at higher than recommended settings and the possibility that adverse effects can occur without ThC, vitamin E, or nicotine.

Main Message:
The main message of this study is that eC users should be cautioned about the potential danger of operating units at higher than recommended settings and be aware that adverse effects can occur without ThC, vitamin E, or nicotine. The study's findings have significant public health implications in light of the life-threatening potential of the EVaLI epidemic and concerns over vaping in the COVID-19 era. The study also highlights the need for further research to better understand the underlying mechanisms of EVaLI and the role of different factors, including heating elements, chemical composition, and particle size, in its development.

Kleinman MT, arechavala RJ, herman D, et al. E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-associated Lung Injury Produced in an animal Model From Electronic Cigarette Vapor Exposure Without Tetrahydrocannabinol or Vitamin E Oil. Journal of the american heart association. 2020;9(18):1. doi:10.1161/Jaha.120.017368