Vaping can damage vital immune system cells and may be more harmful than previously thought, a study suggests.
Researchers found e-cigarette vapour disabled important immune cells in the lung and boosted inflammation.
The researchers "caution against the widely held opinion that e-cigarettes are safe".
However, Public Health England advises they are much less harmful than smoking and people should not hesitate to use them as an aid to giving up cigarettes.
The small experimental study, led by Prof David Thickett, at the University of Birmingham, is published online in the journal Thorax.
Previous studies have focused on the chemical composition of e-cigarette liquid before it is vaped.
In this study, the researchers devised a mechanical procedure to mimic vaping in the laboratory, using lung tissue samples provided by eight non-smokers.
They found vapour caused inflammation and impaired the activity of alveolar macrophages, cells that remove potentially damaging dust particles, bacteria and allergens.
They said some of the effects were similar to those seen in regular smokers and people with chronic lung disease.
They caution the results are only in laboratory conditions and advise further research is needed to better understand the long-term health impact - the changes recorded took place only over 48 hours.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45170756
vaping worse than previously thought
Re: vaping worse than previously thought
Hmm, 8 subjects over 48 hours.
But yea, vaping isn't without consequences.
But yea, vaping isn't without consequences.
Re: vaping worse than previously thought
expert reaction to lab study on the effects of e-cigarette vapour on lung cells
A paper published in Thorax looked at the effects of e-cigarette vapour on lung cells in the lab.
Prof Jonathan Grigg, Professor of Paediatric Respiratory and Environmental Medicine at Queen Mary University of London, said:
“This is a well conducted study focused on a major immune cell at the interface of air and tissue in the lung – the alveolar macrophage. The authors show that alveolar macrophages release potential tissue damaging compounds when exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of e-cigarette vapour condensate.
“This study provides further evidence that challenges the view that vaping presents only minimal risks. The argument that, since vaping is better than smoking cigarettes any effects of vape on lung cells are not important – is increasingly becoming a specious one. First, because airway cells lining the lower airway are exposed to much lower concentrations of nicotine if it absorbed at sites other than the lower airway such as the gut and skin. Second, this study, and other studies using human airway cells and animal models, have shown that non-nicotine constituents of EC vapor also have adverse effects on lower lung cells. By contrast, other methods of smoking cessation will not expose lower airway cells to this complex mix of putative toxins.
“A limitation of this study, acknowledged by the authors, is that it remains difficult to replicate in laboratory studies, the duration and dose of EC vapour that alveolar macrophages are exposed under real-life conditions. However, this study convincingly shows that EC vapour has the capacity to induce adverse effects in these cells.”
Prof John Britton, Director of the UK Centre for Tobacco & Alcohol Studies at the University of Nottingham, said:
“This study demonstrates evidence that lung cells exposed to electronic cigarette vapour become inflamed, as would be expected given that electronic cigarette vapour contains oxidant and other pro-inflammatory constituents. This indicates that long-term use of electronic cigarettes is likely to have adverse effects, as is widely recognised by leading health authorities in the UK including the Royal College of Physicians and Public Health England.
“However, since electronic cigarettes are used almost exclusively in the UK by current or former smokers, the key question is how this adverse effect compares with that of exposure to cigarette smoke. The current study does not address that question, but given the much lower levels and range of toxins in electronic cigarette vapour relative to cigarette smoke, the answer is likely to be substantially less.
“The harsh truth is that smoking kills, and smokers who switch completely to electronic cigarettes are likely substantially to reduce the likelihood of premature death and disability.”
http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/exper ... ung-cells/
A paper published in Thorax looked at the effects of e-cigarette vapour on lung cells in the lab.
Prof Jonathan Grigg, Professor of Paediatric Respiratory and Environmental Medicine at Queen Mary University of London, said:
“This is a well conducted study focused on a major immune cell at the interface of air and tissue in the lung – the alveolar macrophage. The authors show that alveolar macrophages release potential tissue damaging compounds when exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of e-cigarette vapour condensate.
“This study provides further evidence that challenges the view that vaping presents only minimal risks. The argument that, since vaping is better than smoking cigarettes any effects of vape on lung cells are not important – is increasingly becoming a specious one. First, because airway cells lining the lower airway are exposed to much lower concentrations of nicotine if it absorbed at sites other than the lower airway such as the gut and skin. Second, this study, and other studies using human airway cells and animal models, have shown that non-nicotine constituents of EC vapor also have adverse effects on lower lung cells. By contrast, other methods of smoking cessation will not expose lower airway cells to this complex mix of putative toxins.
“A limitation of this study, acknowledged by the authors, is that it remains difficult to replicate in laboratory studies, the duration and dose of EC vapour that alveolar macrophages are exposed under real-life conditions. However, this study convincingly shows that EC vapour has the capacity to induce adverse effects in these cells.”
Prof John Britton, Director of the UK Centre for Tobacco & Alcohol Studies at the University of Nottingham, said:
“This study demonstrates evidence that lung cells exposed to electronic cigarette vapour become inflamed, as would be expected given that electronic cigarette vapour contains oxidant and other pro-inflammatory constituents. This indicates that long-term use of electronic cigarettes is likely to have adverse effects, as is widely recognised by leading health authorities in the UK including the Royal College of Physicians and Public Health England.
“However, since electronic cigarettes are used almost exclusively in the UK by current or former smokers, the key question is how this adverse effect compares with that of exposure to cigarette smoke. The current study does not address that question, but given the much lower levels and range of toxins in electronic cigarette vapour relative to cigarette smoke, the answer is likely to be substantially less.
“The harsh truth is that smoking kills, and smokers who switch completely to electronic cigarettes are likely substantially to reduce the likelihood of premature death and disability.”
http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/exper ... ung-cells/
UFF DA!