A study analyzed the effects of Virginia tobacco and menthol-flavored e-cigarette aerosols on pregnant and non-pregnant mice. The results indicate that during pregnancy, these aerosols induced more pronounced pulmonary inflammation and liver damage.
Researchers examined the effects of Virginia tobacco (VT) and menthol (MT) aerosols, along with a neutral control aerosol, in groups of pregnant and non-pregnant mice. During the experiment, pulmonary inflammation was analyzed based on cell counts, protein content, and LDH activity in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Furthermore, liver triglyceride levels, the expression of lipogenic genes (Scd1, Fasn, Srebp1c), and estrogen receptors were measured, and histological and mitochondrial examinations were performed.
In pregnant mice exposed to VT aerosol, pulmonary inflammation, increased cell counts, and higher protein levels were recorded compared to the non-pregnant group, with no change in LDH activity. VT exposure increased the expression of hepatic lipogenic genes and disrupted maternal lipid homeostasis. Both VT and MT significantly reduced mitochondrial oxidative function in the livers of pregnant mice, while this effect was not observed in the non-pregnant group.
The authors conclude that pregnancy triggers a unique immunological and metabolic response to the aerosols in question: Virginia tobacco modified hepatic lipid metabolism, while menthol aerosol was associated with structural liver changes and fibrosis. The study does not detail the limitations regarding the human relevance of the clinical correlations.
In Brief
- In pregnant mice, tobacco-flavored aerosol induced pulmonary inflammation and elevated BALF protein levels.
- Virginia tobacco aerosol increased the expression of hepatic lipogenic genes (Scd1, Fasn, Srebp1c) in pregnant animals.
- Both flavorings reduced hepatic mitochondrial oxidative capacity, but only in the pregnant cohort.
- The use of menthol aerosol was linked to a deterioration in liver histological structure and fibrosis.
Source: Europe PMC (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
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