High content screening in NHBE cells shows significantly reduced activity of flavoured e-liquids compared to the positive control cigarette smoke condensate
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Abstract
<p class="first" id="d2424290e115">There is scientific agreement that the detrimental
effects of cigarettes are produced
by the formation of Harmful and Potentially Harmful Constituents from tobacco combustion
and not by nicotine. For this reason numerous public health bodies and governments
worldwide have indicated that e-cigarettes have a central role to play in tobacco
harm reduction. In this study, high content screening (HCS) was used to compare the
effects of neat e-liquids and 3R4F reference cigarette smoke condensate (CSC), which
served as a positive control, in Normal Human Bronchial Epithelial (NHBE) cells. The
endpoints measured covered cellular health, energy production and oxidative stress.
Base liquids, with or without nicotine, and commercial, flavoured, nicotine-containing
e-liquids (CFs), had little or no effect on cell viability and most HCS endpoints
even at significantly higher concentrations (typically 100 times or higher) than 3R4F
CSC. CSC induced a dose-dependent decrease of cell viability and triggered the response
in all HCS endpoints. Effects of CFs were typically observed at or above 1%. CF Menthol
was the most active flavour, with minimum effective concentrations 43 to 659 times
higher than corresponding 3R4F CSC concentrations. Our results show a lower biological
activity of e-liquids compared to cigarette smoke condensate in this experimental
setting, across wide range of cellular endpoints.
</p>