Measuring Relative Cardiovascular Health Risks of Inhaled Tobacco Products
Measuring Relative Cardiovascular Health Risks of Inhaled Tobacco Products
Principal Investigator: Matthew Lawrence Springer
Funding Mechanism: National Institutes of Health- Grant
ID Number: 1R01HL120062-01A1
Award Date: 5/23/2014
Institution: University of California, San Francisco
Cardiovascular toxicity is a major consequence of both active and passive smoking. The goal of this project is to quantify the relative cardiovascular toxicity of different inhaled tobacco products (e.g., different types of cigarettes, cigarillos, little cigars, e-cigarettes). To achieve this goal, researchers will assess endothelial function in rats by measuring arterial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) using an innovative micro-ultrasound approach; FMD, the process by which arteries dilate in response to increased fluid shear stress (i.e., the stress of blood flow against arterial walls), is a marker of cardiovascular risk that can provide information about the cardiovascular toxicity of different tobacco products. Specific aims are: (1) to assess differences in the acute vascular toxicity of different types of smoked tobacco products (including menthol and non-menthol cigarettes, research cigarettes, cigarillos, and little cigars); (2) to determine the role of specific smoke components (including nicotine, acrolein, acetaldehyde, and cadmium) in acute endothelial toxicity; and (3) to evaluate and understand the acute cardiovascular toxicity of e-cigarette emissions. This research will yield new information about tobacco product toxicity that may be used to inform regulatory activities.