Summary
Introduction:
This summary will provide an overview of a study examining the effects of e-cigarette vapor on ion channel function in airway epithelial cells. The study seeks to determine if e-cigarettes can induce acquired dysfunction of CFTR and potentially other ion transporters, as thermal degradation of the hydrocarbons in e-cig liquid may produce reactive aldehydes such as acrolein.
Key Points:
* The study utilized primary human bronchial epithelial (hBE) cells and Calu-3 cells, an airway epithelial cell line with high wild-type CFTR but low epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) activity.
* E-cigarette vapor was generated using a variable-voltage ENDS device and a custom-made chamber. Cells were exposed to vaporized ROD (Red Oak Domestic) e-cig liquid or VG (vegetable glycerin) for various durations.
* The study found that vaporizing e-cig liquids can inhibit airway epithelial chloride transport in a dose-dependent fashion, even when neither TEER (transepithelial electrical resistance) nor LDh (lactate dehydrogenase) release is affected.
* The study also found that heat-induced vaporization of e-liquids is necessary for inhibition of chloride transport in vitro.
* In primary hBE cells, ROD inhibits CFTR and ENaC at clinically relevant exposure durations over and above inhibition posed by the transport vehicle VG.
* ROD e-cig vapor produced with shorter, potentially more realistic puff times and exposed to hBE cells for the same durations produced very similar findings, including deleterious effects on ENaC activity, CFTR function, and purine-activated CaCCs.
* The study also found that vaporizing e-cig liquids produces acrolein, a reactive aldehyde known to inhibit CFTR activity.
Main Message:
The study provides evidence that e-cigarette vapor can impair ion channel function in airway epithelial cells, partly through acrolein production. This finding indicates a heretofore unknown toxicity of e-cigarette use that is known to be associated with chronic bronchitis onset and progression, as well as with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease severity. The study highlights the need for further research into the potential health risks associated with e-cigarette use.
Citation
Lin VY, Fain MD, Jackson PL, et al. Vaporized E-cigarette liquids induce ion transport dysfunction in airway epithelia. am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2019;61:162-173. doi:10.1165/rcmb.2017-0432oc
