White rats show how vapors from e-cigarettes destroy lung tissue

With the help of experiments on 30 male white rats, scientists from the Crimean Federal University established the detrimental effect of long-term exposure to vapors of electronic cigarettes lung tissue. Moreover, the experiment compared the effects of both nicotine-containing and nicotine-free liquids for smoking, according to the press service of the KFU.

It turned out that vaping vapors in the body of animals seriously increase the level of activity of trypsin-like proteinases, enzymes that break down proteins, eventually causing the process of destruction of lung tissue proteins in experimental rats.

“We divided the rodents into three groups: A - a control group, B - a group exposed to vapors of a nicotine-free smoking mixture, C - individuals on which we studied the effect of vapors of a similar mixture, but with a content of 6 mg / ml. nicotine. After 40 days, biochemical changes occurred in the respiratory organs of rats - damage to structural proteins in the lung tissue. This is due to an increase in the activity of phagocytic cells, elatase secreted by them, trypsin-like proteinases, and a decrease in the activity of inhibitor proteins. Normally, inhibitors are responsible for protecting tissues from the possible destructive action of certain enzymes, but due to regular inhalation of vape vapors, this mechanism is disrupted, ”explained Leonid Aliyev, associate professor of the KFU Medical Academy.

An increase in the level of activity of trypsin-like proteinases by 49% more than with the action of nicotine-free analogues proves that nicotine mixtures are more destructive for the body. But nicotine-free vapors also affect the structure of the lungs , since they contain the toxic gas formaldehyde. The so-called free radicals are especially harmful to the body.

“Free radicals are highly reactogenic molecules that damage cellular structures, resulting in the release of proteinases. The content of these molecules increases significantly both in tobacco smoke and in vapors of various smoking mixtures. The lungs have a very powerful defense against external factors, but if a person has a genetic predisposition to diseases of the respiratory system or defects in it, then exposure to aggressive substances will certainly lead to chronic diseases. Therefore, smoking even nicotine-free mixtures is dangerous with a number of unforeseen health problems, ”added Anatoly Kubyshkin, Vice-Rector for Research at Kazan Federal University.

As you know, back in 2020, the country introduced restrictions on electronic cigarettes, this year, the control of nicotine content in vaping liquids has been tightened. Other measures are likely to follow.