Abstract
Electronic-cigarettes (ECs) are battery powered devices (containing ~7X1011 free radicals/puff), vaporizes flavors with/without nicotine, which may aid smokers in quitting or attenuating their tobacco habits. To date, health concerns of vaping EC use among healthy & COPD is limited and whether regular use has any effect on airway epithelium. We aim to investigate if vaping alters the structure & function of the airway epithelial cells.
Primary human bronchial epithelia from 5 healthy donors (NHBE, Lonza & Epithelix) were differentiated on an air-liquid interface & exposed to popular EC flavored aerosols (Tobacco/Mango) with/without nicotine compared to clean air control for 10 days using a Vitrocell exposure system connected to a peristaltic pump (CRM81 puffing regimen). Epithelial function was assessed by cell permeability (FITC-dextran assay & TEER), number of cilia, & ciliary beat frequency (CBF). Effects on cell-cell adhesion were measured by quantifying junctional protein abundance & functional effects of altered adhesion were measured by computing cellular motion over time.
We observed that vaping EC aerosols increased permeability, as well as decreased number of cilia & CBF of the airway epithelia (Fig.1). In addition, decreased cell-cell adhesion was quantified by increased cellular motion over time.
Our data suggests that vaping EC disrupts structural and functional integrity of airway epithelia, resulting in airway inflammation & lung diseases.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2019; 54: Suppl. 63, PA2395.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2019
