Vitamin E acetate alters properties of pulmonary surfactant

Abstract

The presence of vitamin E acetate (α-Tocopheryl acetate) in the liquid mixtures used in electronic cigarettes is related to numerous recent cases of electronic-cigarette/vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI). EVALI is linked with an increased number of lipid-laden macrophages found in the lung tissue. As these macrophages contain numerous lipid deposits, it was hypothesized that EVALI involves destabilization of the lipid-rich alveolar pulmonary surfactant (PS), resulting in uncontrolled loss of surfactant lipids from PS and their accumulation in the underlying lung tissue.