Determining the Effects of E‐Cigarette Vapor on Oral Epithelial Cells in a Cultured Cell Model

E‐cigarette usage is growing, especially among adolescents and young adults. This trend is especially concerning due to the lack of regulations governing the e‐cigarette industry and lack of scientific data on the effects of e‐cigarettes on human health. Using a cultured oral keratinocyte model, we hypothesized that exposure to e‐cigarette vapor would adversely affect the growth of cells that reside in the oral cavity. To test this hypothesis, we cultured the cells with condensate prepared from the vapors of grape flavored e‐cigarette fluids, both with and without nicotine. After three days of treatment, cell numbers were determined using a colorimetric assay. Results indicate that the e‐cigarette condensate adversely affects cell growth, regardless of the absence or presence of nicotine. To understand the underlying mechanisms, changes in gene expression in the cells treated with condensate were evaluated using real‐time qPCR after 24, 48, and 72 hours of treatment. A time‐dependent increase in the levels of CYP1A1 and IL8, gene targets of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, were observed. Results obtained from similar experiments using the isolated flavoring agent, methyl anthranilate, indicate that formation of a heat‐induced byproduct of this agent may be involved in the observed changes in cell growth. Future experiments will focus on determining the mechanisms by e‐cigarette condensates impact cell growth and identifying the specific chemical byproduct mediating these effects. Support or Funding Information Funded in part by a grant from the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics for Summer Undergraduate Research. This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .