Impact of secondhand smoke and e-cigarette aerosol on overweight or obesity in adolescents: a network pharmacology and toxicology study
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Rising childhood obesity is a global concern, with environmental tobacco exposure as a potential risk factor. However, the mechanisms linking secondhand smoke and e-cigarette aerosol to adolescent obesity remain unclear.
METHODS: We analyzed data from 968 participants aged 3- 19 years in the NHANES 2017- 2020 cycles. Passive exposure was assessed using self-reported household exposure and objectively measured serum cotinine levels. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations between exposure categories and overweight/obesity status. Cotinine-related molecular targets were identified through network pharmacology and toxicology analyses, with protein-protein interaction networks, enrichment analyses, and molecular docking used to explore relevant pathways.
RESULTS: Compared with unexposed individuals, participants exposed to both secondhand smoke and e-cigarette aerosols had significantly greater odds of overweight or obesity (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.9; 95% CI: 1.4-11.0; p = 0.009). Serum cotinine levels were also positively associated with obesity risk in a dose-dependent manner, with those in the highest quartile (Q4) showing aOR = 3.8 (95% CI: 2.1-6.8; p < 0.001) compared with those in Q1. Network analyses identified CHRNA2 and CHRNB2 as key targets involved in cholinergic signaling and metabolic regulation. Cotinine demonstrated strong binding affinity to these targets in molecular docking, supporting its potential biological…
Read the paper
Related studies
- Tobacco and COPD: presenting the World Health Organization (WHO) Tobacco Knowledge Summary
- Comparative effects of e-cigarette smoking on periodontal status, salivary pH, and cotinine levels
- Association between exposure to environmental pollutants and increased oral health risks, a comprehensive review
- Influence of gestational window on offspring vascular health in rodents with in utero exposure to electronic cigarettes
- Natural products as kinase inhibitors in lung cancer: molecular mechanisms, therapeutic potential, and clinical trials
- Nicotine in electronic cigarettes
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.