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A Mechanical Mechanism for Vitamin E Acetate in E-cigarette/Vaping-Associated Lung Injury

Published

Author(s)

Mitchell DiPasquale, Omotayo Gbadamosi, Michael H. L. Nguyen, Stuart R. Castillo, Brett W. Rickeard, Elizabeth Kelley, Michihiro Nagao, Drew Marquardt

Abstract

The outbreak of electronic-cigarette/vaping associated lung injury (EVALI) has made thousands ill. This lung injury has been attributed to a physical interaction between toxicants from the vaping oils and the pulmonary surfactant. Pulmonary surfactant is vital to proper respiration through the mechanical properties of adsorption and interface stability to achieve and maintain low surface tension at the air/liquid interface. Studies have implicated vitamin E acetate as a potential instigator. Using neutron spin echo spectroscopy, we investigate the impact of vitamin E acetate on the mechanical properties of two pulmonary surfactant mimics: pure 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) and a more comprehensive lipid mixture. It was found that increasing vitamin E acetate concentration non-linearly increased membrane fluidity and area compressibility to a plateau, promoting both adsorption during inspiration and collapse during expiration. These findings indicate the potential for the failure of the pulmonary surfactant upon expiration, attributed to monolayer collapse. This event contributes to the observed EVALI signs and symptoms, including shortness of breath and pneumonitis.
Citation
Chemical Research in Toxicology
Volume
33
Issue
9

Keywords

vitamin E, pulmonary surfactant, compressibility, neutron spin echo, small angle neutron scattering, respiration

Citation

DiPasquale, M. , Gbadamosi, O. , Nguyen, M. , Castillo, S. , Rickeard, B. , Kelley, E. , Nagao, M. and Marquardt, D. (2020), A Mechanical Mechanism for Vitamin E Acetate in E-cigarette/Vaping-Associated Lung Injury, Chemical Research in Toxicology, [online], https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.0c00212 (Accessed February 11, 2025)

Issues

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Created August 26, 2020, Updated January 15, 2025