E-cigarettes Alter Inflammatory State of Brain, Heart, Lungs and ColonDaily use of pod-based e-cigar

E-cigarettes Alter Inflammatory State of Brain, Heart, Lungs and ColonDaily use of pod-based e-cigarettes alters the inflammatory state of multiple organ systems including the brain, heart, lungs and colon, according to a new study done in mice from researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, published April 12, 2022 in the journal eLife. Effects also vary depending on the e-cigarette flavor and can influence how organs respond to infections, such as SARS-CoV-2.Authors saw the most striking effects in the brain, where several inflammatory markers were elevated. Additional changes in neuroinflammatory gene expression were noted in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region critical for motivation and reward-processing. The findings raise major concerns, they said, as neuroinflammation in this region has been linked to anxiety, depression and addictive behaviors, which could further exacerbate substance use and addiction.“Many JUUL users are adolescents or young adults whose brains are still developing, so it’s pretty terrifying to learn what may be happening in their brains considering how this could affect their mental health and behavior down the line,” said senior study author Laura Crotty Alexander, MD, associate professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine. The researchers also found that the inflammatory response of each organ varied depending on which JUUL flavor was used. For example, the hearts of mice that inhaled mint aerosols were much more sensitive to the effects of bacterial pneumonia compared to those that inhaled mango aerosols. “This was a real surprise to us,” said Crotty Alexander. “This shows us that the flavor chemicals themselves are also causing pathological changes. If someone who frequently uses menthol-flavored JUUL e-cigarettes was infected with COVID-19, it’s possible their body would respond differently to the infection.”While mint and mango JUUL flavors have been discontinued since this study began, many of their chemical ingredients can still be found in current JUUL products, such as their menthol flavor, or other brands of flavored e-cigarettes.— Nicole Mlynaryk -- source link

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