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An Evaluation of the Cytotoxic and Pro‐inflammatory Effects of Various E‐cigarette Liquid Flavors on Monocytes and Macrophages
Author(s) -
Stanley Corshe D.,
Clapp Phillip W.,
Jones Shan Z.,
Jaspers Ilona
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.1262.4
Subject(s) - cytotoxic t cell , immune system , macrophage , cytotoxicity , immunology , inflammation , secretion , thp1 cell line , cytokine , viability assay , monocyte , biology , chemistry , cell culture , cell , in vitro , biochemistry , genetics
The usage of electronic cigarettes is becoming very popular in today's society. Although the popularity of these products is increasing, they are not currently regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and the long term health effects are still unknown. The objective of the present study was to identify the potential cytotoxic and inflammatory effects of various flavors of E‐cigarette liquids in THP‐1 monocytes and alveolar macrophages. THP‐1 cells and alveolar macrophages were used as experimental models because these cells are important components of our immune system and first line of defense against infections, especially in the lung. Alveolar macrophages are the most predominant resident immune cell in the healthy human lung. Macrophages and other immune cells use cytokines to communicate with other components of the immune system and to signal the onset of infections. In this project we challenged macrophages/THP‐1 cells with seven different flavors of e‐cigarette liquids. The cells were harvested 24 hours post‐challenge and examined for the secretion of IL‐6 and IL‐8 as markers of inflammation and immune responses. We also calculated cell viability following challenge, using trypan blue exclusion. Our hypothesis was that E‐cigarette liquids are pro‐inflammatory and potentially cytotoxic and thus potentially adversely affecting the ability of these cells to function properly. Our data suggest that of the seven E‐cigarette liquids tested, two induced significant cytotoxicity in THP‐1 monocytes, while one of the flavors had no effect on cytokine secretion or cell viability. It is important to note that the two most cytotoxic liquids contained the cinnamon‐flavoring chemical cinnamaldehyde. These results suggest that, individually, E‐cigarette liquids may contribute to inflammatory and cytotoxic responses. Support or Funding Information UNC TCORS grant (5‐33779)