Retinal tissue develops an inflammatory reaction to tobacco smoke and electronic cigarette vapor in mice
Abstract
Cigarette smoke has been identified as a major risk factor for the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). As an alternative to conventional cigarettes (C-cigarette), electronic cigarettes (E-cigarette) have been globally promoted and are currently widely used. The increasing usage of E-cigarettes raises concerns with regard to short- (2 weeks), medium- (3 months), and long- (8 months) term consequences related to retinal tissue. In this report, a controlled study in mouse models was conducted to probe the comprehensive effects of E-cigarette vapor on retina, retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), and choroidal tissues by (1) comparing the effects of C-cigarette smoke and E-cigarette vapor on retina separately and (2) determining the effects of E-cigarette vapor on the RPE and analyzing the changes with regard to inflammatory (IL-1β, TNFα, iNOS) and angiogenic (VEGF, PEDF) mediators in retina/RPE/choroid by ELISA assays. The data showed that C-cigarette smoke exposure promoted an inflammatory reaction in the retina in vivo. Mice exposed to E-cigarette (nicotine-free) vapor developed inflammatory and angiogenic reactions more pronounced in RPE and choroid as compared to retinal tissue, while nicotine-containing E-cigarette vapor caused even a more serious reaction. Both inflammatory and pro-angiogenic reactions increased with the extension of exposure time. These results demonstrate that exposure to C-cigarette smoke is harmful to the retina. Likewise, the…
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