A Mechanistic Insight into the Lung-Derived Inflammatory Response Following In Vitro Exposure to Cigarette Smoke and Next-Generation Nicotine Delivery Products

UKEMS 2022 -- Lung inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of various respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). The etiology of these diseases involves interactions between lung and immune cells, with immune cells regulating the body's response to external stimuli. Ethical issues have increased the desire to implement the 4Rs (Replacement, Refinement, Reduction and Responsibility of Animals in Research) in toxicological testing through increased use of in vitro assays. Despite the rapid advancement of in vitro assays that closely resemble in vivo human biology, their application in understanding downstream effects of airway toxicity, such as inflammation, are at an early stage. In this study, the organotypic lung model MucilAir was exposed to aerosols known to induce different levels of airway toxicity. Following exposure, the induction of macrophage polarisation, a marker of inflammation, by MucilAir recovery media was measured. Additionally, cytokine, histological and RNA analysis of MucilAir tissues provided a molecular insight into the pathways driving inflammatory onset.