# Effect of third-generation electronic-cigarette design features on aerosol constituents and pulmonary toxicity in vitro and in vivo - Focus on humectants and vitamin E acetate

> **NIH NIH R03** · LOUISIANA STATE UNIV A&M COL BATON ROUGE · 2020 · $72,769

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Currently, over 13 million Americans, including teenagers and adults, use electronic nicotine delivery systems
(ENDS), which were first introduced to the United States (U.S.) in 2006. In 2019, there was an outbreak of e-
cigarette (e-cig) or vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI) across the U.S., with more than 2,700 cases of lung
injury plus 60 associated deaths. Clearly, all ENDS are not ‘safe’, and more research on vaping health outcomes
is urgently needed. The EVALI outbreak was associated predominantly with the presence of vitamin E acetate
(Vit EA) in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-containing products; Vit EA was found in the broncho-alveolar lavage
fluid (BALF) of EVALI patients reporting use of THC products. A causal relationship, however, between Vit EA
and EVALI remains unclear, since EVALI has been diagnosed in patients since 2012, and is still observed in
nicotine-exclusive ENDS users. In more than 50% of EVALI patients, the BALF contained lipid-laden
macrophages, which have been associated with immune-inflammatory responses and unbalanced levels of
surfactant that can evolve into lipoid pneumonia or pneumonitis-like reactions, as seen in EVALI. Besides Vit
EA, propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG), the main e-liquid constituents, are biologically relevant
molecules with emulsifying properties that could impair lipid homeostasis in the lungs. Our preliminary data
demonstrate 1) that Vit EA e-cig aerosol is detrimental to lung epithelial cells in vitro, and 2) that PG and VG e-
cig aerosol induce molecular changes associated with concentration of lipid in the lungs of mice. Therefore, we
hypothesize that long-term inhalation of e-cig aerosols containing either PG, VG, Vit EA or a combination of
those humectants, will induce lipid-mediated lung injury leading to a decline in lung function, both hallmarks of
EVALI. The constant evolution of the ENDS industry makes ENDS-related research challenging and complex.
Our approach will circumvent current research limitations by investigating the long-term pulmonary effects of
inhaling Vit EA, plus PG and VG, the two most widely used and common humectants found in the formulation of
e-liquids of ENDS. The overarching goal of this project is to define the roles that PG, VG, Vit EA or a
combination of those humectants, as main constituents of e-liquid formulations and associated e-cig aerosols,
play in the health outcomes from vaping, using physiologically relevant in vitro and in vivo models. Specifically,
we will 1) determine whether PG, VG, Vit EA or a combination of those humectants can affect the inflammation
and immune responses of human pulmonary epithelial cells and macrophages; and 2) screen for EVALI
biomarkers that can serve as predictive indicators of EVALI progression in vivo in a well-characterized mouse
model of inhalation exposures. The expected results could assist in establishment of new regulatory guidelines
regarding the use of PG, VG and Vit EA a...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10114045
- **Project number:** 3R03ES029441-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** LOUISIANA STATE UNIV A&M COL BATON ROUGE
- **Principal Investigator:** Alexandra Noel
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $72,769
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-08-01 → 2021-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10114045

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10114045, Effect of third-generation electronic-cigarette design features on aerosol constituents and pulmonary toxicity in vitro and in vivo - Focus on humectants and vitamin E acetate (3R03ES029441-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10114045. Licensed CC0.

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