Some new research has been published on the ACS (American Chemical Society) website looking into the risks of vaping on Human Gingival Epithelial Cells (HGEC).
The word Gingival refers to the gums and Epithelial means outer surface functional tissue.
So this study was basically investigating cytotoxicity (being toxic to cells) of E-Cigarette Aerosol Condensates (ECAC) compared to generic Cigarette Smoke Condensates (CSC).
The study states…
“Studies on the cytotoxicity of e-cigarettes and tobacco on GECs are few and controversial. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the toxicity of e-cigarettes and tobacco on GECs (Gingival Epithelial Cells).”
GECs are the army of the gums – being a physical barrier and the antibacterial agent against incoming bacteria.
To be honest the majority of this study is way over my head – but the conclusion is very clear!
Conclusion
Cutting a very long story short the conclusion states…
“We compared the effects of tobacco and e-cigarette on HGECs. The results showed that compared with cells treated with ECAC (E-Cigarette Aerosol Concentrates), CSC (Cigarette Smoke Condensates)-treated HGECs showed lower viability, lower collagen levels, higher apoptosis rates, and higher levels of inflammatory factors. Therefore, we concluded that e-cigarette is less toxic to HGECs than tobacco. Some studies have shown the effects of tobacco and e-cigarettes on oral cell viability and apoptosis, proving that e-cigarettes are less cytotoxic than tobacco, which is consistent with our result.”