Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with cigarette smoking being a major preventable risk factor. Smoking cessation can be difficult due to the addictive nature of nicotine and the withdrawal symptoms following cessation. Electronic cigarettes (e-Cigs) have emerged as an alternative smoking cessation device, which has been increasingly used by non-smokers; however, the cardiovascular effects surrounding the use of e-Cigs remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of e-Cig aerosol condensate (EAC) (0 mg and 18 mg nicotine) in vitro on human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) and in vivo on the cardiovascular system using a mouse model of ‘e-vaping’. In vitro results show a decrease in cell viability of HCAEC when exposed to EAC either directly or after exposure to conditioned lung cell media (p < 0.05 vs. control). Reactive oxygen species were increased in HCAEC when exposed to EAC directly or after exposure to conditioned lung cell media (p < 0.0001 vs. control). ICAM-1 protein expression levels were increased after exposure to conditioned lung cell media (18 mg vs. control, p < 0.01). Ex vivo results show an increase in the mRNA levels of anti-angiogenic marker, FKBPL (p < 0.05 vs. sham), and endothelial cell adhesion molecule involved in barrier function, ICAM-1 (p < 0.05 vs. sham) in murine hearts following exposure to electronic cigarette aerosol treatment containing a higher amount of nicotine. Immunohistochemistry also revealed an upregulation of FKBPL and ICAM-1 protein expression levels. This study showed that despite e-Cigs being widely used for tobacco smoking cessation, these can negatively impact endothelial cell health with a potential to lead to the development of cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with cigarette smoking being a major preventable risk factor. Smoking cessation can be difficult due to the addictive nature of nicotine and the withdrawal symptoms following cessation. Electronic cigarettes (e-Cigs) have emerged as an alternative smoking cessation device, which has been increasingly used by non-smokers; however, the cardiovascular effects surrounding the use of e-Cigs remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of e-Cig aerosol condensate (EAC) (0mg and 18mg nicotine) in-vitro on human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) and in-vivo on the cardiovascular system using a mouse model of ‘e-vaping’. The results show a decrease in cell viability of HCAEC when exposed to EAC either directly or after exposure to conditioned lung cell media (p < 0.005). Reactive oxygen species and ICAM-1 expression were increased in HCAEC when exposed to EAC directly (p < 0.0005). ICAM-1 mRNA expression was increased (18mg vs control, p < 0.05), and immunostaining revealed upregulated anti-angiogenic markers, FKBPL, and endothelial cell marker, CD31, in murine hearts following exposure to electronic cigarette aerosol treatment. This study showed that even though e-Cigs are widely used for tobacco smoking cessation, these can negatively impact on endothelial cell health with a potential to lead to the development of cardiovascular disease. This process is visualised in Supplementary File 1.
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