Abstract 11524: Maternal Vaping Impacts on Cerebrovascular Function in Offspring

Abstract

Electronic cigarettes (E-cigs) are marketed as a safer alternative to smoking even during pregnancy, but health effects of vaping are still largely unknown and under investigation. Emerging studies find cerebrovascular dysfunction in offspring with in-utero E-cig exposure, but little is known what the effect of E-cig device wattage has. We hypothesize maternal vaping at 30 watts will have a greater effect (compared to 5-watts) on cerebrovascular dysfunction in offspring. Female Sprague Dawley rats were time-mated, and the dams were randomly assigned to the following groups 1) 5-watts (N=5), 2) 30-watts (N=5), 3) and ambient air (control, N=5). Exposure was 60-puffs/day (5 days/week) beginning on gestational day (GD) 2-3 until GD21 using whole-body chambers. E-liquid was 50% vegetable glycerin, and 50% propylene glycol containing no nicotine and no flavor. One male & female offspring per dam are reported at 1- and 6-months of age, where the middle cerebral artery (MCA) was isolated and reactivity assessed using dose-response (10 -9 M to 10 -4 M) to acetylcholine (ACh), serotonin (5-HT), and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) via pressure myography. 1-month offspring, maximal MCA dilation to ACh was impaired in both 5- and 30-watts compared to air (33±3%, 50±3%, respectively, p<0.05). SNP-induced dilation (20±6%, 39±4%, respectively, p<0.05) and 5-HT vasoconstriction (37±3%, 47±3%, respectively, p<0.05) were blunted in both groups compared to controls. Compared to air, the 6-month offspring showed similar impairments in 5- and 30-watt groups (27±3% and 45±2%, respectively, p<0.05). Likewise, SNP dilation (12±3% and 23±6%, p<0.05) and 5-HT constriction (21±3% and 36±3%, p<0.05) were impaired in 5- and 30-watt groups, respectively, compared to controls. For all conditions, 30-watt MCA impairment was significantly greater than 5-watts in 1 and 6-month offspring (p<0.05). These data show (regardless of the E-cig device wattage used) that maternal vaping during pregnancy results in cerebrovascular impairment involving endothelial-dependent and -independent pathways in adolescent and adult offspring, but also shows that the magnitude of impairment is greater with maternal vaping at higher compared to lower wattage.