Inflammatory Response and Barrier Dysfunction by Different e-Cigarette Flavoring Chemicals Identified by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry in e-Liquids and e-Vapors on human Lung Epithelial Cells and Fibroblasts

Introduction:
This text presents a study on the potential health hazards of flavoring chemicals used in electronic cigarettes (e-cigs). The study identifies various chemicals present in e-cig liquids and emissions, and examines their effects on lung epithelial cells and fibroblasts. The researchers used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis to identify the chemicals and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISa) to measure the release of proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) from lung cells.

Key Points:

* The study identified several chemicals present in e-cig liquids and emissions, including diacetyl, acetoin, pentanedione, maltol, ortho-vanillin, coumarin, and cinnamaldehyde.
* The researchers found that these chemicals can induce IL-8 release from lung epithelial cells and fibroblasts, indicating a potential proinflammatory response.
* The study also found that e-cig flavoring agents can cause loss of epithelial barrier function in human bronchial epithelial cells, which can influence the proinflammatory responses in lung cells.
* The researchers used GC-MS analysis to identify the chemicals present in e-cig liquids and emissions, and ELISa to measure IL-8 release from lung cells.
* The study used three different lung cell lines: human bronchial epithelial cells (Beas2B), transformed lung epithelial cells (h292), and human lung fibroblasts (hFL-1).
* The researchers tested different concentrations of the chemicals and found that some chemicals, such as acetoin and maltol, were more potent inducers of IL-8 release than TNFα.
* The study found that e-cig flavoring agents can cause transient or persistent decrease in epithelial barrier function, which can impair the mucosal immune barrier and inflammatory response.

Main Message:
The study highlights the potential health hazards of flavoring chemicals used in e-cigs. The researchers found that these chemicals can induce proinflammatory responses and cause loss of epithelial barrier function in lung cells. The study emphasizes the need for further research to determine the exact mechanism by which these chemicals affect lung cells and to assess their long-term effects on lung health. The study also underscores the importance of regulating the use of these chemicals in e-cigs to protect public health.

Gerloff, Janice, Isaac K. Sundar, Robert Freter, Emily R. Sekera, alan E. Friedman, Risa Robinson, Todd Pagano, and Irfan Rahman. “Inflammatory Response and Barrier Dysfunction by Different E-Cigarette Flavoring Chemicals Identified by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry in e-Liquids and e-Vapors on human Lung Epithelial Cells and Fibroblasts.” applied In Vitro Toxicology 3, no. 1 (March 2017): 28–40. https://doi.org/10.1089/aivt.2016.0030.