Abstract
In recent years, vaping has increased in both popularity and ease of access. This has led to an outbreak of a relatively new condition known as e-cigarette/vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI). This injury can be caused by physical interactions between the pulmonary surfactant (PS) in the lungs and toxins typically found in vaping solutions, such as medium chain triglycerides (MCT). MCT has been largely used as a carrier agent within many cannabis products commercially available on the market. Pulmonary surfactant ensures proper respiration by maintaining low surface tensions and interface stability throughout each respiratory cycle. Therefore, any impediments to this system that negatively affect the efficacy of this function will have a strong hindrance on the individual’s quality of life. Herein, neutron spin echo (NSE) and Langmuir trough rheology were used to probe the effects of MCT on the mechanical properties of pulmonary surfactant. Alongside a porcine surfactant extract, two lipid-only mimics of progressing complexity were used to study MCT effects in a range of systems that are representative of endogenous surfactant. MCT was shown to have a greater biophysical effect on bilayer systems compared to monolayers, which may align with biological data to propose a mechanism of surfactant inhibition by MCT oil.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 643-652 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Chemical Research in Toxicology |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 17 2023 |
Funding
This work acknowledges the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada (funding reference number RGPIN-2018-04841, D.M.); the NSERC Canadian Graduate Scholarship - Master’s (CGS-M NSERC) program (M.Dz.); Canadian Graduate Scholarship - Master’s (CGS-M CIHR) program (O.G.); program Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) program (S.R.C); Canadian Graduate Scholarship - Doctoral (CGS-D CIHR) program (M.Di.) ; and the Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering, a partnership between the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Science Foundation under Agreement No. DMR-2010792 (M.N.) . Funding for this study was provided by the Lung Health Foundation through a Breathing as One Award. This research used resources at the Spallation Neutron Source, a DOE Office of Science User Facility operated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The authors acknowledge funding support from WE-SPARK Health Institute (and University of Windsor). Mention of any commercial products or services does not imply approval or endorsement by NIST.