Electronic cigarettes can cause cellular and molecular changes in the lungs, according to a study conducted in mice by Canadian scientists, who warn that these products are not inert.
A team at McGill University in Montreal found that even low exposure to aerosols from a brand of e-cigarettes “very popular among youth and young adults” had “significant effects.”
Prolonged inhalation of e-cigarette aerosols by mice caused changes in the composition of the animals’ lung immune cells and altered the levels of genes and proteins in the lungs, indicates the research published in The FASEB Journal.
Changes inside the lungs
As a relatively new product, it may take decades to fully understand the effects of vaping in people, but this study shows that it causes “widespread changes inside the lungs,” according to study coordinator Carolyn Bagloe.
The data obtained from the investigation “further emphasize that these products are not inert and can cause lung damage if used long-term,” he added.
