Granata Silvia, Morosini Camilla, Valerii Maria Chiara, Fagiolino Ivan, Sangiorgi Stefano, Ghini Severino, Spisni Enzo, Vivarelli Fabio, Fairclough Lucy C, Paolini Moreno, Canistro Donatella
Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Front Toxicol. 2025 Jan 20;6:1515850. doi: 10.3389/ftox.2024.1515850. eCollection 2024.
Heating tobacco products (HTPs) are advanced electronic cigarette models. Classified by the FDA as a modified-risk tobacco product and can be used as part of efforts to quit smoking. Using heat-not-burn (HnB) technology, these devices heat tobacco avoiding complete combustion. Although the levels of toxicants in the mainstream are significantly lower than those observed in tobacco smoke, some recent studies have raised concerns about potential health risks associated with their use, particularly regarding their effects on male gonadal function, which remain largely unexplored.
Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed, whole body, 5 days/week for 4 weeks to HnB mainstream.
The expression of the cell cycle regulators Bax/Bcl-2 ratio is not affected, along with no changes in p-38. On the other hand, an increase in oxidative stress markers, including those associated with DNA damage, was observed in exposed animals, along with the induction of NF-kB dependent pro-inflammatory mediators: TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and COX-2. Furthermore, inactivation of key androgenic enzymes, such as 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, together with decreased testosterone synthesis suggest a potential impairment of male gonadal function.
The results indicate that animals exposed to HnB smoke show higher levels of oxidative stress markers, including those associated with DNA damage, as well as higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The impairment of some androgenic key enzymes and those related to the activity of seminiferous epithelium, together with the decrease in testosterone levels, suggest an impairment of gonadal function through the alteration of some cellular pathways typically associated with tobacco consumption.
加热烟草制品（HTP）是先进的电子烟类型。被美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）归类为风险改良型烟草制品，可作为戒烟努力的一部分使用。这些装置采用低温不燃烧（HnB）技术，加热烟草以避免完全燃烧。尽管主流烟雾中的有毒物质水平明显低于烟草烟雾中的水平，但最近的一些研究对其使用可能带来的健康风险提出了担忧，特别是对男性性腺功能的影响，而这方面在很大程度上仍未得到充分研究。
成年雄性Sprague-Dawley大鼠每周全身暴露于HnB主流烟雾5天，持续4周。
细胞周期调节因子Bax/Bcl-2比值的表达未受影响，p-38也无变化。另一方面，在暴露的动物中观察到氧化应激标志物增加，包括与DNA损伤相关的标志物，同时还诱导了NF-κB依赖性促炎介质：肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）、白细胞介素-1β（IL-1β）、白细胞介素-6（IL-6）和环氧化酶-2（COX-2）。此外，关键雄激素酶如3β-羟基类固醇脱氢酶和17β-羟基类固醇脱氢酶失活，同时睾酮合成减少，提示男性性腺功能可能受损。
结果表明，暴露于HnB烟雾的动物表现出更高水平的氧化应激标志物，包括与DNA损伤相关的标志物，以及更高水平的促炎细胞因子。一些雄激素关键酶和与生精上皮活性相关的酶的损伤，以及睾酮水平的降低，表明通过改变一些通常与烟草消费相关的细胞途径，性腺功能受到了损害。
