Maternal-fetal Consequences of E-Cigarette Vapor Exposure on Cerebral Microvessel Density in Rats

1)Staller, KE*, (2)EN Burrage, (2,3)E Aboaziza, (5)SA Reppert*, (5)J O’Reilly, (5)L Hare, (2,3,5)PD Chantler, and (3,4,5)IM Olfert

(1) Davis College, (2) School of Medicine, Division of Neuroscience, (3) West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute, (4) Center of Inhalation Toxicology, (5) Division of Exercise Physiology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506

Field (Broad Category): Neuroscience (Health Sciences) 

Student’s Major: Animal Science 

The vascular consequences of e-cigarette exposure, especially during pregnancy, on the offspring are unknown. Microvessel density (number of vessels) in the brain plays a critical role in brain health and normal development. The aim of this study was to examine how e-cigarette exposure during pregnancy impacts microvessel density in the offspring. We hypothesized that e-cigarette exposure will decrease microvessel density compared to air (control) rats. We examined the effects of maternal E-cig exposure (Joyetech eGrip OLED using 5-sec puffs @17.5 W) on cerebrovascular function in offspring (n=2-4 from each dam) from Sprague-Dawley rat dams exposed to air (Control), E-cig with 18 mg/ml nicotine (E-cig18) and without nicotine (E-cig0). Dams were exposed to low (20 puffs) dose for 1- hour each day, 5 days/week, starting on gestational day 2 and continued until pups were weaned. Pups themselves we never directly exposed to E-cig aerosol. Rats were euthanized and the brain samples were flash frozen and sectioned at 8um using a cryostat. Immunofluorescence was utilized to observe endothelial cells via a CD31 antibody. Images were taken using a Nikon Eclipse 800 at a 40X objective and analyzed and quantified for density using ImageJ. Preliminary data suggest that microvessel density is decreased in E-cig 0 and E-cig18 compared to air controls, suggesting that e-cigarette exposure during pregnancy is not safe to the fetus. 

Funding: WVU Cancer Institute Philip R Dino Innovative Research Grant (IMO); APS STRIDE Fellowship (JO); NIHGMS 5U54GM104942-03 (PDC); WEST VIRGINIA IDEA NETWORK OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH EXCELLENCE (WV-INBRE) 3P20GM103434-19S1 (PDC, IMO) 

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: WVU's Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP) & accompanying HONR 297-level course