PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Baishakhi Ghosh AU - Kristine Nishida AU - Lakshmana Chandrala AU - Venkataramana Sidhaye TI - Effect of Vaping on Airway Barrier Function: A Pilot Study AID - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2019.PA2395 DP - 2019 Sep 28 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - PA2395 VI - 54 IP - suppl 63 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/54/suppl_63/PA2395.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/54/suppl_63/PA2395.full SO - Eur Respir J2019 Sep 28; 54 AB - 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.FootnotesCite 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).