Teens-E-Cigarettes

E-cigarette vapor could lead to emphysema, according to a Central Michigan University College of Medicine researcher.

(Tim Ireland | The Associated Press)

MOUNT PLEASANT, MI -- Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes as they're more commonly known, have been touted as a tar- and tobacco-free alternative to traditional cigarettes and a way to kick a nicotine habit.

But, according to new research by Central Michigan University College of Medicine's Neeraj Vij, an associate professor of molecular and cell biology, they might not be a safe alternative to smoking. Inhaling the vapor from e-cigarettes could lead to emphysema.

E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that turn nicotine, flavor and other chemicals into an aerosol that is inhaled by the user, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The liquid vaporized by e-cigarettes comes in countless flavors from menthol to marshmallow.

Related: E-cigarette vapor could lead to emphysema, say CMU researchers

Vij, research fellow Prashanth Shivalingappa and CMU seniors Colin Westphal of Linden and Rachel Hole of Oakland examined how e-cigarette vapor compared to tobacco smoke by testing how the vapor affects cells, according to a CMU news release.

"The team found even minimal exposure of e-cigarette vapor for one hour, disrupted the protein processes in cells," the release states. "It is the same path cigarette smoke and second-hand smoke takes in our bodies."

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According to Mayo Clinic, emphysema gradually damages alveoli, the air sacs in the lungs, causing shortness of breath that progressively worsens. It is one of several diseases known collectively as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, and smoking is the leading cause.

The team's e-cigarette findings were published as an abstract in the April edition of the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

"COPD/emphysema is not a genetic disorder," Vij said in a statement. "We have described the role of overall protein processing in this and in previous research, which has been confirmed by studies from other groups."

"What we are talking about is how these proteins are made and how they are degraded. This process of proteostasis in our cells has to be very -- in layman's terms -- tightly regulated, because if it goes off-balance, it's a big problem."

Vij, Shivalingappa, Hole and Westphal "exposed human bronchial epithelial cells to e-cigarette vapor from one to six hours and saw 'significant disruptions' of the protein processing in the cells," the release states. "Further tests verified that even minimal exposure of one-hour created harmful changes."

"The team also confirmed its findings with tests on laboratory mice exposed to acute e-cigarette vapors."

Heather Jordan is a reporter for MLive/The Saginaw News/The Bay City Times. She can be reached at 989-450-2652 or hjordan@mlive.com. For more news, follow her on Twitter and Facebook.