Epithelial Research
German research into the effects of vape and smoke on lung tissue released this week.
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by Dave Cross
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The team noted that previous studies looking at the cytotoxic nature of eliquid used stem cells or neurons and this was unsatisfactory as vapour comes into contact with lung cells. Also, they note that the cells do not come into contact with liquid and this was another flaw in previous studies.
The team grew cell cultures from the bronchial region of the respiratory tract and exposed them to 200 puffs of eliquid vapour, the equivalent smoke from 10 cigarettes, PG and VG. The Liquid used was 0% and 24% nic “Tennessee Cured” Johnson’s Creek. The cells were cultivated from two cancer patients: a 75yr-old and a 69yr-old. These two samples are identified as NHBE33 and NHBE48 in the results graphs below.
People aware of the limitations of using smoking robots to provide a real-world vaping scenario will already be wincing at the mention of 200 puffs. The equipment being puffed on was a Reevo Mini-S kit obtained from In-Smoke. The 2.2Ω atomiser was powered by the 900mAh and connected to the piston pump of a smoking robot. The 200 35ml puffs were taken successively, one after each other, lasting 2 seconds each.
The team then looked at the cell viability (comparing live to dead cells) and oxidative stress (how the cells managed to repair themselves if damaged).
Viability results
Stress results
The team identified that they had not adjusted for the difference in the concentrations between vape and smoke. Once this had been carried out the graph showing the cells ability to recover, the stress, alters dramatically – highlighting the far safer nature of vaping over smoking.
Adjusted results
The research team’s conclusions:
- “Our results clearly demonstrate that the tested e-cigarette vapor had toxicological effects on primary NHBE cells when exposed directly at the air-liquid interface.”
As we already knew – vaping is safer than smoking, not safe.
- “Interestingly, the presence of nicotine had no effect on the cell viability.”
Welcome news that nicotine does not possess the properties that the California Department of Public Health would have everyone believe.
- “Combustible cigarettes are smoked in exposure experiments according to ISO 3308, meaning a puff volume of 35 mL, a puff time of 2 s, and an interpuff interval of 60 s, but these smoke parameter do not resemble the vaping topography in e-cigarette users.”
The team recognise that the experiment does not replicate real-world vaping.
- “However, if the toxicity of e-cigarette vapor and cigarette mainstream smoke is compared on basis of the same smoking parameters as well as the same number of puffs, the cell viability is about 4.5–5 times lower and the oxidative stress levels 4.5–5 times higher in combustible cigarettes.”
Vaping is better than smoking...well, there you go.
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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