Synthetic coolant in electronic cigarettes impairs cytoskeletal function in human lung epithelium
October 2023
University of California, Riverside, USA
The design of popular disposable electronic cigarettes (ECs) was analyzed, and the concentrations of WS-23, a synthetic coolant, in EC fluids were determined for 22 devices from 4 different brands. All products contained WS-23 in concentrations that ranged from 1.0 to 40.1 mg/mL. To determine the effects of WS-23 on human bronchial epithelium in isolation of other chemicals, EpiAirway 3-D microtissues were exposed to WS-23 at the air liquid interface (ALI) using a cloud chamber that generated aerosols without heating. Proteomics analysis of exposed tissues revealed that the cytoskeleton was a major target of WS-23. Human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) were exposed to WS-23 in submerged culture to validate the main results from proteomics. F-actin, which was visualized with phalloidin, decreased concentration dependently in WS-23 treated BEAS-2B cells, and cells became immotile in concentrations above 1.5 mg/mL. The so-called gap closure, a repair process of the epithelium, which depends on both cell proliferation and migration, was inhibited by 0.45 mg/mL of WS-23. These data show that WS-23 is being added to popular EC fluids at concentrations that can impair processes dependent on the actin cytoskeleton and disturb homeostasis of the bronchial epithelium.
A synthetic coolant (WS-23) in disposable electronic cigarettes impairs cytoskeletal function in EpiAirway microtissues exposed at the air liquid interface
Prue Talbot
Added on: 05-27-2024
[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-43948-4
