Shah Raivat, Luo Emily D, Shaffer Carly A, Tabakha Maya, Tomov Sophie, Minton Siara H, Brown Mikaela K, Palazzolo Dominic L, Cuadra Giancarlo A
Department of Biology, Muhlenberg College, 2400 W. Chew Street, Allentown, PA 18104, USA.
University of Michigan Medical School, 1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Toxics. 2025 May 29;13(6):451. doi: 10.3390/toxics13060451.
Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) are widely used but their effects on the immune system need to be further investigated. Macrophages are white blood cells central to the immune response. Using THP-1-derived M0 macrophages, this study aims to determine the effects of ECIG liquids (E-liquids) on the polarization of M0 to the pro-inflammatory M1 macrophage subtype. THP-1 cells were cultured and differentiated to M0 macrophages using RPMI media. E-liquids ± cinnamon, menthol, strawberry and tobacco flavors were added to cell cultures at 1% (/) during polarization with lipopolysaccharides and interferon γ for 24 to 72 h. Morphology, viability, gene expression and cytokine production were measured using light microscopy, the LDH cytotoxicity assay, qPCR and ELISA, respectively. The results show that cells present little to no LDH activity under any treatments. In addition, cinnamon-flavored E-liquid severely affects morphology (i.e., abolishing pseudopodia formation), gene expression of all genes tested, and cytokine production. Other E-liquid flavors also affect some of these parameters, but to a lesser extent. Our data suggest that E-liquids can affect the polarization from M0 to M1, thus affecting the immune response in ECIG-exposed tissues such as the mucosa in the oral cavity and airways, ultimately mitigating the health status.
电子烟被广泛使用，但其对免疫系统的影响仍需进一步研究。巨噬细胞是免疫反应的核心白细胞。本研究使用THP-1衍生的M0巨噬细胞，旨在确定电子烟液（烟油）对M0向促炎性M1巨噬细胞亚型极化的影响。使用RPMI培养基培养THP-1细胞并将其分化为M0巨噬细胞。在使用脂多糖和干扰素γ极化24至72小时期间，将添加了肉桂、薄荷醇、草莓和烟草口味的烟油以1%（/）添加到细胞培养物中。分别使用光学显微镜、LDH细胞毒性测定、qPCR和ELISA测量形态、活力、基因表达和细胞因子产生。结果表明，在任何处理下细胞的LDH活性都很低或没有。此外，肉桂味烟油严重影响形态（即消除伪足形成）、所有测试基因的基因表达和细胞因子产生。其他烟油口味也会影响其中一些参数，但程度较小。我们的数据表明，烟油会影响从M0到M1的极化，从而影响电子烟暴露组织（如口腔和气道黏膜）中的免疫反应，最终损害健康状况。
