E-cigarette flavoring chemicals and vehicles adversely impact the functions of pigmented human retinal ARPE-19 cells

Abstract

Electronic cigarettes (ECs) have been shown to adversely impact the human eye's retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Flavored e-liquids induced cytotoxicity in unpigmented human ARPE-19 cells independent of nicotine's presence in my previous study. In the current study, human ARPE-19 cells pigmented by sepia melanin were employed to examine the effects of four flavoring chemicals, vanillin, menthol, furanone, and cinnamaldehyde, and EC vehicles propylene glycol (PG)/vegetable glycerin (VG) ratios (0:100, 80:20, 100:0% v/v), on metabolic activity, membrane integrity, oxidative stress, and wound healing capacity of these cells. Results demonstrate that cinnamaldehyde was the most cytotoxic flavoring, and all vehicles showed marked cytotoxicity at the highest concentration of 10%. All four flavorings elicited a significant production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), while the three vehicles did not impact ROS levels. Vanillin significantly (p < 0.05) suppressed wound healing, while furanone and cinnamaldehyde had no effects, although menthol promoted wound healing at the lowest concentration. Moreover, the vehicles with two ratios of 0:100 PG/VG and 80:20 PG/VG suppressed wound healing. Together, these results suggest that vanillin and VG-containing vehicles exert the greatest adverse effects on ARPE-19 cells. These findings underscore the potential harm that exposure to ECs can cause to the human retina.