We already had many doubts about electronic cigarettes, to which we now add the conclusions of a new study: that they can cause inflammation in the intestine .
The study was published on January 5, 2021 in the journal iScience . This is the first study to show how chronic exposure to e-cigarettes increases the gut’s susceptibility to bacterial infections.
Intestinal barrier alteration
The results of the study suggest that the chemical components of e-cigarettes, specifically propylene glycol and vegetable glycerol, alter the intestinal barrier and trigger inflammation in the body , which can lead to a variety of health problems.
Everything we eat or drink – our lifestyle choices in other words – has the ability to affect our gut microbes, the gut barrier, and overall health. We now know that what we smoke, like e-cigarettes, also negatively impacts it.
For the study, the team used three-dimensional models of human intestinal tracts generated from patient cells and simulated what happens when vapors from e-cigarettes enter the intestinal lining. The researchers validated the findings using mouse models.
To produce the three-dimensional intestinal organoids, the researchers collected stem cells from patients’ biopsies during colonoscopies and cultured them in vitro . The stem cells differentiated into four different cell types that make up the intestinal lining. Finally, the team exposed the organoids to the liquid vapor of the e-cigarette, mimicking the frequency of a chronic vaper.
Given the importance of the gut barrier in maintaining the body’s immune homeostasis, the findings provide valuable information on the possible long-term harmful effects of chronic e-cigarette use on our health .