Xu Xu, Liu Hailan, Yu Meng, Liu Qingzhuo, Li Yongxiang, Deng Yue, Yang Yuxue, Cheng Jingjing, Liu Yutian, Wang Mengjie, Fang Xing, Tu Longlong, Ginnard Olivia Z, McDermott Kristine M, Threat Darah, Wang Fuhui, Sun Meixin, Liu Xinming, Qiu Jiamin, Wu Xi, Jian Jinjing, Zhou Tong, Burt Megan E, Jossy Sanika V, Han Junying, Wang Chunmei, Yang Yongjie, Xu Yong, Shi Yuhan
Department of Pediatrics, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, 1100 Bates Street #8066, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
Division of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
Cell Biosci. 2025 Sep 26;15(1):127. doi: 10.1186/s13578-025-01473-z.
Nicotine is known to influence metabolism and body weight, yet existing murine models of nicotine exposure often fail to replicate human smoking behaviors accurately. To address this gap, we designed a cost-effective, self-administered nicotine inhalation system that allows mice to voluntarily inhale nicotine vapor generated from e-liquid.
Using this system, we investigated the metabolic effects of nicotine exposure in adult and adolescent mice. Adult mice exposed to nicotine vapor for 10 days exhibited significant weight loss, which was rapidly regained upon cessation, paralleling human smoking patterns. In contrast, adolescent mice did not lose weight during nicotine exposure but experienced increased fat mass accumulation after cessation. These results highlight critical age-dependent differences in nicotine's metabolic effects and challenge the common perception that nicotine aids in weight control among adolescents.
Our novel e-liquid-based inhalation model provides a valuable tool for studying nicotine's physiological and behavioral effects, with implications for understanding smoking-related health risks and addiction mechanisms.
已知尼古丁会影响新陈代谢和体重，但现有的尼古丁暴露小鼠模型往往无法准确复制人类吸烟行为。为了填补这一空白，我们设计了一种经济高效的自我给药尼古丁吸入系统，该系统可让小鼠自愿吸入电子烟液产生的尼古丁蒸汽。
使用该系统，我们研究了尼古丁暴露对成年和青春期小鼠的代谢影响。暴露于尼古丁蒸汽10天的成年小鼠体重显著减轻，停止暴露后体重迅速恢复，这与人类吸烟模式相似。相比之下，青春期小鼠在尼古丁暴露期间体重未减轻，但在停止暴露后脂肪量增加。这些结果突出了尼古丁代谢效应中关键的年龄依赖性差异，并挑战了尼古丁有助于青少年控制体重的普遍观念。
我们基于新型电子烟液的吸入模型为研究尼古丁的生理和行为效应提供了一个有价值的工具，有助于理解与吸烟相关的健康风险和成瘾机制。
