Impact of gestational electronic cigarette vaping on amino acid signature profile in the pregnant mother and the fetus.

Introduction:
This text provides an in-depth analysis of the impact of prenatal electronic cigarette (e-cig) aerosol exposure on the amino acid (aa) signature profile during late pregnancy. The study examines aa concentrations in maternal and fetal plasma, as well as fetal lung tissue, using hPLC analyses, and is the first to show the effects of e-cig aerosol vaping on aa concentrations in the maternal and fetal compartments, as well as the first study to examine the effects of tobacco products on the aa profile of the developing fetal lung.

Key Points:

* The study found that exposure to e-cig aerosols with nicotine during pregnancy alters the aa profile in maternal and fetal plasma, while e-cig aerosols without nicotine do not.
* Both e-cig aerosols with and without nicotine alter the aa profile in both male and female fetal lungs.
* Sex has a minimal effect on the pattern of dysregulation of aas in the fetal lungs.
* Exposure to e-cig aerosols containing nicotine increased the concentration of ornithine in all major tissues that were analyzed.
* Patterns of aa dysregulation in fetal lungs of the EC-Nic group may indicate altered nitric oxide production, induced by e-cig aerosol exposure.
* The study used a rat model of prenatal exposure to e-cig aerosols containing nicotine and found significantly reduced fetal and postnatal growth, accompanied by a reduction in blood flow in the maternal uterine artery and fetal umbilical artery.
* The study used hPLC analyses to determine the impact of prenatal e-cig aerosols on the aa signature profile during late pregnancy.

Main Message:
The study underscores the potential harmful effects of e-cig aerosol vaping during pregnancy on the aa signature profile in both the mother and the fetus. The findings suggest that e-cig aerosols with and without nicotine can alter the aa profile in the developing fetal lungs, with minimal sex-linked effects. The study highlights the need for extensive research on exposure to e-cig aerosols during pregnancy, as their use as a harm-reduction tool for traditional tobacco smokers may have damaging effects on the physiology of pregnancy and development.

Orzabal MR, Naik VD, Lee J, Wu G, Ramadoss J. Impact of gestational electronic cigarette vaping on amino acid signature profile in the pregnant mother and the fetus. Metabolism open. 2021;11:100107. doi:10.1016/j.metop.2021.100107