Date of Presentation

5-4-2023 12:00 AM

College

School of Osteopathic Medicine

Poster Abstract

Vape-pens or electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are handheld battery powered devices that use a vape-liquid to produce a vapor that is inhaled by the user. The active ingredients in commercial vape-liquids are commonly nicotine, tetrahydrocannabinol or cannabidiol. A consequence of the rise in e-cigarette usage was the 2019 emergence of a vaping-induced respiratory disease denoted ‘e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury’ (EVALI). One of the suspected causes of EVALI is Vitamin E Acetate (VEA), which was found to be a diluent in certain illicit tetrahydrocannabinol vape-pens, whereas nicotine is commonly diluted in equal parts propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin (PG:VG). The prevalent use of e-cigarettes by both adult and young adult populations and the emergence of a novel illness has made understanding how e-cigarette vapors affect our respiratory tissues a public health concern. We have designed and produced a simple device that can operate commercial e-cigarettes and deliver the vapor to a chamber containing a standard cell culture multi-well plate. Here we utilize our device to investigate how human airway mucociliary tissue cultures respond after chronic exposure to vapors produced from either PG:VG or VEA. We note several differences between how PG:VG and VEA vapors interact with and alter airway tissue cultures and suggest potential mechanisms for how VEA-vapors can exacerbate EVALI symptoms. Our device combined with primary human airway tissue cultures make an economical and compact model system that allows for animal-free investigations into the acute and chronic consequences of e-cigarette vapors on primary respiratory cells.

Keywords

E-Cigarette Vapor, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, Vaping, Electronic Cigarette Use, Lung Injury, E-Cigarette Use-Associated Lung Injury, E-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury, EVALI, Respiratory Physiological Phenomena, Vitamin E Acetate

Disciplines

Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Epidemiology | Equipment and Supplies | Investigative Techniques | Medical Cell Biology | Medical Physiology | Medicine and Health Sciences | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms | Public Health Education and Promotion | Respiratory Tract Diseases

Document Type

Poster

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May 4th, 12:00 AM

Human Airway Mucociliary Tissue Cultures Chronically Exposed to E-Cigarette Vapors Exhibit Altered Cell Populations and Increased Secretion of Immunomodulatory Cytokines

Vape-pens or electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are handheld battery powered devices that use a vape-liquid to produce a vapor that is inhaled by the user. The active ingredients in commercial vape-liquids are commonly nicotine, tetrahydrocannabinol or cannabidiol. A consequence of the rise in e-cigarette usage was the 2019 emergence of a vaping-induced respiratory disease denoted ‘e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury’ (EVALI). One of the suspected causes of EVALI is Vitamin E Acetate (VEA), which was found to be a diluent in certain illicit tetrahydrocannabinol vape-pens, whereas nicotine is commonly diluted in equal parts propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin (PG:VG). The prevalent use of e-cigarettes by both adult and young adult populations and the emergence of a novel illness has made understanding how e-cigarette vapors affect our respiratory tissues a public health concern. We have designed and produced a simple device that can operate commercial e-cigarettes and deliver the vapor to a chamber containing a standard cell culture multi-well plate. Here we utilize our device to investigate how human airway mucociliary tissue cultures respond after chronic exposure to vapors produced from either PG:VG or VEA. We note several differences between how PG:VG and VEA vapors interact with and alter airway tissue cultures and suggest potential mechanisms for how VEA-vapors can exacerbate EVALI symptoms. Our device combined with primary human airway tissue cultures make an economical and compact model system that allows for animal-free investigations into the acute and chronic consequences of e-cigarette vapors on primary respiratory cells.

 

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