Impact of E-cig aerosol vaping on fetal and neonatal respiratory development and function.

Introduction:
This abstract describes a study investigating the impact of gestational e-cigarette (e-cig) aerosol exposure on offspring pulmonary development in a murine model. The study employed a three-pronged approach, examining the effects of e-cig aerosols with and without nicotine on fetal lung transcriptome, neonatal lung morphology, and respiratory mechanics.

Key Points:

* The study used timed-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats, exposing them to e-cig aerosols from gestational day 5 to 20, with three experimental endpoints: gestational day 21, postnatal day 4, and postnatal day 10.
* The e-cig aerosols were produced using a custom engineered system, and the nicotine concentration in the e-cig liquid was 10% for the EC-Nic group.
* The study found that prenatal exposure to e-cig aerosols with nicotine resulted in significant alterations in fetal lung transcriptome, reduced neonatal lung weight and volume, and increased mean linear intercept and decreased radial alveolar count, indicating an emphysematic phenotype.
* The respiratory mechanics of neonates exposed to e-cig aerosols with nicotine showed an increasing trend in total respiratory system resistance and a decreasing trend in static compliance.
* The study also found that prenatal exposure to e-cig aerosols without nicotine resulted in significant alterations in fetal lung transcriptome, indicating that chemical constituents other than nicotine in e-cig aerosols may have a negative effect on fetal lung gene expression.

Main Message:
The study suggests that prenatal exposure to e-cig aerosols, particularly those containing nicotine, can have detrimental effects on fetal and neonatal pulmonary development and respiratory health. The findings highlight the need for public health policy and regulation regarding the use of e-cigs during pregnancy, as well as further research to delineate molecular mechanisms of e-cig aerosol-induced pulmonary deficits and to identify therapeutic targets to assist individuals exposed to e-cig aerosols during pregnancy.

Orzabal MR, Naik VD, Lee J, et al. Impact of E-cig aerosol vaping on fetal and neonatal respiratory development and function. Translational research : the journal of laboratory and clinical medicine. 2022;246:102-114. doi:10.1016/j.trsl.2022.03.009