The Effect of Electronic-Cigarette Vaping on Cardiac Function and Angiogenesis in Mice

Sci Rep. 2019 Mar 11;9(1):4085. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-40847-5.

Abstract

The rapid increase in use of electronic-cigarettes (e-cigarettes), especially among youth, raises the urgency for regulating bodies to make informed decisions, guidance, and policy on these products. This study evaluated cardiac function in an experimental model following exposure to e-cigarettes. We subjected C57BL/6 mice to e-cigarette vaping for 2-weeks, and cardiac function was assessed using echocardiography. Cardiac tissues were collected at the end of e-cigarette exposure for pathological analysis. The experimental data showed that e-cigarette vaping (3 h/day for 14 days) had no significant effect on cardiac contractility as measured by ejection fraction. However, it significantly increased angiogenesis in mouse heart tissue. We found that e-cigarette exposure increased the endothelial cell marker CD31 and CD34 to approximately 2 fold (p < 0.05) in heart tissue from female mice and about 150% (p < 0.05) in male mice. E-cigarette vaping also caused slower weight gain compared to mice exposed to room air. In addition, short-term e-cigarette exposure slightly increased collagen content in heart tissue but did not result in significant tissue fibrosis. These results suggest that short-term exposure to e-cigarettes has no acute effect on cardiac contractile function or tissue fibrosis, but it increases cardiac angiogenesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD34 / genetics
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Echocardiography
  • Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems*
  • Female
  • Heart Function Tests
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Myocardial Contraction / drug effects*
  • Myocardial Contraction / physiology
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / chemically induced
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / diagnostic imaging
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / physiopathology*
  • Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / genetics
  • Vaping / adverse effects*
  • Weight Gain / drug effects

Substances

  • Antigens, CD34
  • Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1