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. 2024 Dec 19;21(12):1693.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph21121693.

Effects of E-Cigarette (e-cig) Aerosols on Mutagenesis in Selected Organs in a C57 lacI (BigBlueTM) Mouse Model

Dweet Chhaya  1 , Merna Gress  2 , Amna Raja  1 , Wieslawa Kosinska  3 , Terry Gordon  1 , Judith Zelikoff  1 , Joseph B Guttenplan  3
Affiliations

Effects of E-Cigarette (e-cig) Aerosols on Mutagenesis in Selected Organs in a C57 lacI (BigBlueTM) Mouse Model

Dweet Chhaya et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the potential mutagenic effects of the exposure of mice to aerosols produced from the component liquids of an electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS). The use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) and ENDSs has increased tremendously over the past two decades. From what we know to date, ENDSs contain much lower levels of known carcinogens than tobacco smoke. While conventional tobacco smoke is a well-established mutagen, little is known about the mutagenicity of ENDS aerosols. Here, we report the mutagenic effects of a 3-month whole body exposure of C57 lacI mice (BigBlueTM) to filtered air (AIR) or ENDS aerosols in several tissues. Aerosols were generated from a 50/50 vegetable glycerin (VG)/propylene glycol (PG) mixture with and without nicotine. The results revealed that in the lung, bladder urothelial tissue, and tongue, mutagenesis was significantly greater in the VG/PG/nicotine group than in the AIR group. In all organs except the bladder, mutagenesis in the VG/PG only group was similar to those exposed to AIR. In the bladder, mutagenesis in the VG/PG group was elevated compared to that in the AIR group. In the liver, mutagenesis was modestly elevated in the VG/PG/nicotine group, but the elevation failed to reach statistical significance. Overall, there were no consistent differences in mutagenesis between the sexes. The results of this study suggest that exposure to e-cig aerosols containing nicotine represents a risk factor for carcinogenesis in several organ systems, and exposure to VG/PG alone may be a risk factor for bladder cancer.

Keywords: ENDS; aerosol; e-cigarette; mouse; mutagenesis; organs.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Effect of 3-month whole-body exposure of C57 lacI mice (Big Blue) to e-cig aerosols or filtered air on mutagenesis in lung. E-cig aerosol without nicotine (VG/PG); E-cig aerosol with nicotine, (VG/PG/nic), pfu (plaque-forming units). All groups consist of females + males. n = 13 for air, 10 for VG/PG, and 12 for VG/PG/nic groups. *, p ≤ 0.01 vs. filtered air in one-tailed t-test; error bars, mean ± SEM. MF, mutant fraction.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effect of 3-month whole-body exposure of C57 lacI mice (Big Blue) to e-cig aerosols or filtered air on mutagenesis in tongue. E-cig aerosol without nicotine (VG/PG); E-cig aerosol with nicotine, (VG/PG/nic), pfu (plaque-forming units). All groups consist of females + males. n = 13 for air, 10 for VG/PG, and 12 for VG/PG/nic groups. *, p ≤ 0.05 vs. filtered air group in one-tailed t-test; error bars, mean ± SEM.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effect of 3-month whole-body exposure of C57 lacI mice (Big Blue) to e-cig aerosols or filtered air on mutagenesis in bladder urothelial tissue. E-cig aerosol without nicotine (VG/PG); E-cig aerosol with nicotine, (VG/PG/nic), pfu (plaque-forming units). All groups consist of females + males. n = 13 for air, 10 for VG/PG, and 9 for VG/PG/nic groups. *, p < 0.02 vs. filtered air group in one-tailed t-test; error bars, mean ± SEM.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Effect of 3-month whole-body exposure of C57 lacI mice (Big Blue) to e-cig aerosols or filtered air on mutagenesis in liver. E-cig aerosol without nicotine (VG/PG); E-cig aerosol with nicotine, (VG/PG/nic), pfu (plaque-forming units). All groups consist of females + males. n = 13 for air, 10 for VG/PG, and 12 for VG/PG/nic groups. Error bars, mean ± SEM.
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