The growing popularity and accessibility of e-cigarettes and vaping devices has led to the emergence of the hobby worldwide. This has led to users developing impaired respiratory function, with one condition of interest being known as e-cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI). This disorder is characterized by interactions of foreign vaping additives with the pulmonary surfactant environment of alveoli. Pulmonary surfactant (PS) is vital for efficient gas exchange therefore any impediments to this system may lead to decreased function and hinder an individual’s quality of life. Due to the large number of possible toxins in a hard-to-regulate industry, there were two toxins of interest chosen, vitamin E acetate (VEA) and medium chain triglycerides (MCT). The effects of these toxins were investigated in model PS systems. A four-component lipid-only PS mimic system, as well as two animal-derived surfactants, Curosurf (porcine-derived) and BLES (bovine-derived) were investigated in the presence of varying amounts of these toxins. Langmuir rheology studies and neutron scattering techniques were used to investigate the biophysical effects these toxins convey. Neutron spin echo (NSE) was used to probe the bending rigidity of bilayer vesicles, while oscillating barrier studies on a Langmuir trough were used to analyze behaviour after compression-expansions cycles. Overall VEA was shown to have a softening effect on both monolayer and bilayer PS systems, which may lead to inefficient functionality of processes such as adsorption. The effect of MCT was seen to be more pronounced in bilayer systems, making them behave stiffer. This shows that it may affect related bilayer systems, such as lamellar bodies or associated reservoirs. Furthermore, studies using neutron methods on Langmuir monolayers will garner further information on PS monolayers at specific surface pressures, giving information on chemical composition and monolayer thickness upon the incorporation of toxins. Overall, the various toxins found in the many e-cigarette and vaping products may confer differing effects that may have an overall detrimental outcome on the functionality of PS. This work fundamentally builds towards constructing a mechanism on how certain toxins affect PS and further unravels the mystery of how EVALI and respiratory ailments arise in users.

Investigating the effect of vaping additives on the biophysical nature of pulmonary surfactant lipid systems

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