COMPARISON OF THE IN VITRO TOXICITY OF E-LIQUID COMPONENTS AND DIFFERENT COMMERCIAL E-LIQUIDS ATOMIZED AT LOW AND HIGH POWER

• Grant number: 23/15810-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2024
• End date: February 28, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Carneiro Borra
• Grantee: Isabella Viti Agostinho Souza Dias
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (CCBS). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The use of electronic cigarettes (EC) among young people has been growing exponentially due to the ease of purchase online and the attractions related to the various flavors and types of devices. Vaporization fluids (e-Liquid) contain carcinogens such as nitrosonornicotine, nitrosamine ketones, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, aldehydes, and other organic compounds produced in the pyrolysis process that occurs to produce vapor. The harms caused are unknown, as these devices are constantly changing and developing, making toxicological studies difficult. However, some changes have already been identified at the cellular and tissue levels that may contribute to the development of various diseases, especially in the long term. In the toxicological assessment of ECs, we must not lose sight of the fact that vaporized e-Liquids constitute a complex chemical mixture, which complicates the analysis process. Toxic effects can vary depending on the interactions between the components produced in vaporization, in metabolism, or in reactions with tissues. Therefore, it is necessary to develop studies that compare the toxic effects of each component of e-Liquids and their combinations, to correlate the formulations, the levels of vaporization power with cellular changes. In this way, we propose to analyze the in vitro safety limits of the main components of e-liquid: VG, PG, flavorings, and nicotine, either alone or combined in different proportions, using cytotoxicity models. For this, we intend to develop a "smoking machine" for vaporizing e-Liquid using an atomizer and dilution in an appropriate medium. Evaluate, in vitro, the cytotoxicity of the various components of e-Liquids, in their individual or combined form, before and after vaporization, following the standards recommended by OECD-GD129. We also intend to relate the levels of toxicity to variables of the vaporization process related to coil power.