E-Cigarettes May Not Be As Safe As You Think

The dangers of cigarette smoking are widely publicized in our society today. There are federal laws that require warning labels on all tobacco products, smoking is banned in public places of 29 states and anti-smoking campaigns like the The Truth are aimed at educating America’s youth about the dangers of tobacco. Despite this, tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease in the United States, and nicotine addiction lies at root.

Nicotine activates nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) in brain, causing adaptive changes in the neuronal circuitry in many areas of the brain, especially the ventral tegmental area (VTA). These changes to neuronal circuitry and synaptic strength are thus the cause of tobacco addition. Dr. Daniel S. McGehee and his colleges at the University of Chicago study the effects of nicotine on the mammalian brain using male Sprague Dawley rats as a model system. Their previous work has shown that nicotine induces long-term potentiation (LTP) in dopaminergic neurons of the VTA. This is done so by the activation of α7 nAChRs which increases glutamate release from glutamate terminals inducing LTP. Their latest study has shown that nicotine exposure to rat brain slices, which have never been exposed to nicotine before, causes NMDA receptor (NMDAR) - dependent increase of AMPA receptor/NMDAR ratio in dopaminergic neurons of the VTA. The increase of this receptor ratio is consistent with LTP induction. Synaptic plasticity was also found to be induced by the exposure of nicotine to dopaminergic neurons, due to an increase of presynaptic glutamate release causing enhanced NMDAR activation. The findings of McGehee and his college further contribute to our poor understanding of nicotine addiction, and may potentially led to more effective treatments for those who wish to quit smoking.

Today, many smokers are turning to e-cigarettes as an alternative to smoking cigarettes. E-cigarettes have gained tremendous popularity in the past years as a potential “safe” alternative to traditional tobacco products. However, e-cigarettes may not be as safe as many people see them to be. Though they contain none of the toxic carcinogenic chemicals found in tobacco smoke, the FDA is concerned that there has not been ample enough research done on e-cigarette vapor to deem it harmless as long term effects of use are unknown. Recent research has shown that compounds in e-cigarette vapor mimic changes in the lungs associated with asthma. The FDA is also concerned that e-cigarette companies are marketing to our nation’s youth, and many young people view e-cigarettes as safe. E-cigarette smoke may not contain the harmful carcinogens found in tobacco smoke, but the nicotine in the vapor still retains its detrimental effect of slowing the development of the adolescent brain.

Mao D., Gallager K., McGehee D. S. “Nicotine Potentiation of Excitatory Inputs
to VentralTegmental Area Dopamine Neurons.” The Journal of Neuroscience 31:18.
(2011): 6710-6720. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.

Fox, Maggie. “What’s So Bad About E-Cigarettes.” NBC. 25 Apr. 2014. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/what-s-so-bad-about-e-cigarettes-n89366