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Liu AH, Hootman J, Li D, Xie Z. Public perceptions of synthetic cooling agents in electronic cigarettes on Twitter. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0292412. [PMID: 38470869 PMCID: PMC10931480 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Amid a potential menthol ban, electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) companies are incorporating synthetic cooling agents like WS-3 and WS-23 to replicate menthol/mint sensations. This study examines public views on synthetic cooling agents in e-cigarettes via Twitter data. From May 2021 to March 2023, we used Twitter Streaming Application Programming Interface (API), to collect tweets related to synthetic cooling agents with keywords such as 'WS-23,' 'ice,' and 'frozen.' The deep learning RoBERTa (Robustly Optimized BERT-Pretraining Approach) model that can be optimized for contextual language understanding was used to classify attitudes expressed in tweets about synthetic cooling agents and identify e-cigarette users. The BERTopic (a topic modeling technique that leverages Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) deep-learning model, specializing in extracting and clustering topics from large texts, identified major topics of positive and negative tweets. Two proportion Z-tests were used to compare the proportions of positive and negative attitudes between e-cigarette users (vapers) and non-e-cigarette-users (non-vapers). Of 6,940,065 e-cigarettes-related tweets, 5,788 were non-commercial tweets related to synthetic cooling agents. The longitudinal trend analysis showed a clear upward trend in discussions. Vapers posted most of the tweets (73.05%, 4,228/5,788). Nearly half (47.87%, 2,771/5,788) held a positive attitude toward synthetic cooling agents, which is significantly higher than those with a negative attitude (19.92%,1,153/5,788) with a P-value < 0.0001. The likelihood of vapers expressing positive attitudes (60.17%, 2,544/4,228) was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) than that of non-vapers (14.55%, 227/1,560). Conversely, negative attitudes from non-vapers (30%, 468/1,560) were significantly (P < 0.0001) higher than vapers (16.2%, 685/4,228). Prevalent topics from positive tweets included "enjoyment of specific vape flavors," "preference for lush ice vapes," and "liking of minty/icy feelings." Major topics from negative tweets included "disliking certain vape flavors" and "dislike of others vaping around them." On Twitter, vapers are more likely to have a positive attitude toward synthetic cooling agents than non-vapers. Our study provides important insights into how the public perceives synthetic cooling agents in e-cigarettes. These insights are crucial for shaping future U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations aimed at safeguarding public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew H. Liu
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Julia Hootman
- Department of Computer Science, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Dongmei Li
- Department of Clinical and Translational Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Zidian Xie
- Department of Clinical and Translational Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, United States of America
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Tackett AP, Han DH, Peraza N, Whaley RC, Mason T, Cahn R, Hong K, Pang R, Monterosso J, Page MK, Goniewicz ML, Leventhal AM. Effects of 'Ice' flavoured e-cigarettes with synthetic cooling agent WS-23 or menthol on user-reported appeal and sensory attributes. Tob Control 2023:tc-2023-058125. [PMID: 37940405 DOI: 10.1136/tc-2023-058125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This clinical experiment tested the effects of exposure to e-cigarettes with WS-23 or menthol cooling additives on user appeal and sensory attributes, and, secondarily, whether WS-23 effects generalised across base characterising flavour, nicotine concentration, or nicotine/tobacco product use status. METHODS In this within-participant double-blind experiment, adult tobacco/nicotine users administered standardised puffs of 18 different e-cigarette solutions in randomised sequences using a pod-style device. Each of three base characterising e-cigarette flavour solutions ('bold tobacco', 'mango,' 'wintergreen') in both 2% and 4% concentrations of nicotine benzoate salt were manipulated by adding either: (1) Menthol (0.5%), (2) WS-23 (0.75%) or (3) No cooling agent. After each administration, participants rated 3 appeal and 5 sensory attributes (0-100 scales). RESULTS Participants (n=84; M(SD)=38.6 (13.6) years old) were either exclusive e-cigarette (25.0%), cigarette (36.9%) or dual (38.1%) users. WS-23 versus no coolant products produced higher liking, willingness to use again, smoothness, and coolness and lower disliking, bitterness, and harshness ratings (|B|difference range: 4.8 to 20.1; ps<0.005). Menthol (vs no coolant) increased willingness to use again and reduced harshness and coolness (ps<0.05). Flavours with WS-23 (vs menthol) were rated as smoother, cooler and less harsh (ps<0.05). Coolant effects did not differ by base flavour, nicotine concentration, or tobacco use status. CONCLUSIONS Adding synthetic coolant WS-23 to e-cigarettes appears to make the vaping user experience more appealing, regardless of characterising base flavour. Regulatory agencies should be aware that the manufacturing process of adding synthetic coolants may increase the attractiveness of various e-cigarette products.Cite Now.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alayna P Tackett
- Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Dae Hee Han
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Institute for Addiction Science, Univeresity of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Natalia Peraza
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Reid C Whaley
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Tyler Mason
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Rael Cahn
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Kurt Hong
- Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Raina Pang
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - John Monterosso
- Institute for Addiction Science, Univeresity of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Michelle K Page
- Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Maciej Lukasz Goniewicz
- Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Adam M Leventhal
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Institute for Addiction Science, Univeresity of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Liu AH, Hootman J, Li D, Xie Z. Public perceptions of synthetic cooling agents in electronic cigarettes on Twitter. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.09.21.23295881. [PMID: 37808831 PMCID: PMC10557767 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.21.23295881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Amid a potential menthol ban, electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) companies are incorporating synthetic cooling agents like WS-3 and WS-23 to replicate menthol/mint sensations. This study examines public views on synthetic cooling agents in e-cigarettes via Twitter data. From May 2021 to March 2023, we used Twitter Streaming API, to collect tweets related to synthetic cooling agents with keywords such as 'WS-23,' 'ice,' and 'frozen.' Two deep learning roBERTa models, classified attitudes expressed in tweets about synthetic cooling agents and identified e-cigarette users. The BERTopic deep-learning model identified major topics of positive and negative tweets. Two proportion Z-tests were used to compare the proportions of positive and negative attitudes between e-cigarette users (vapers) and non-e-cigarette-users (non-vapers). Of 6,940,065 e-cigarettes related tweets, 5,788 non-commercial tweets related to synthetic cooling agents. The longitudinal trend analysis showed a clear upwards trend in discussions. Vapers posted most of the tweets (73.05%, 4,228/5,788). Nearly half (47.87%, 2,771/5,788) held a positive attitude toward synthetic cooling agents, which is significantly higher than those with a negative attitude (19.92%,1,153/5,788) with a P-value < 0.0001. The likelihood of Vapers expressing positive attitudes (60.17%, 2,544/4,228) was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) than that from non-vapers (14.55%, 227/1,560). Conversely, negative attitudes from non-vapers (30%, 468/1,560) was significantly (P < 0.0001) higher than vapers (16.2%, 685/4,228). Prevalent topics from positive tweets included "enjoyment of specific vape flavors," "preference for lush ice vapes," and "liking of minty/icy feelings." Major topics from negative tweets included "disliking certain vape flavors" and "dislike of others vaping around them." On Twitter, vapers are more likely to have a positive attitude toward synthetic cooling agents than non-vapers. Our study provides important insights into how the public perceives synthetic cooling agents in e-cigarettes, insights that are crucial for shaping future FDA regulations aimed at safeguarding public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew H. Liu
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Julia Hootman
- Department of Computer Science, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Dongmei Li
- Department of Clinical and Translational Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
| | - Zidian Xie
- Department of Clinical and Translational Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
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Lamb T, Rahman I. Pro-inflammatory effects of aerosols from e-cigarette-derived flavoring chemicals on murine macrophages. Toxicol Rep 2023; 10:431-435. [PMID: 37090225 PMCID: PMC10119680 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Macrophages treated with the flavoring chemicals found in flavored electronic cigarettes have been shown to induce an inflammatory response, however, limited data are available on the effect of aerosol exposure to these chemicals. We hypothesized that aerosol exposure to flavoring chemicals found in commercially available flavored e-liquids would result in an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines in macrophages. Raw264.7 macrophage cell lines were exposed to a low and high dose of propylene glycol/vegetable glycerin (PG/VG) with almond flavoring benzaldehyde (280 μg/ml and 2.1 mg/ml), PG/VG with spicy/clove flavoring eugenol (3.5 mg/ml and 12 mg/ml), or PG/VG with apple flavoring hexyl acetate (500 μg/ml and 2.5 mg/ml). Exposure to PG/VG with 2.1 mg/ml benzaldehyde resulted in a significant increase in KC levels compared to air and PG/VG exposed cells. Exposure to PG/VG with both doses of hexyl acetate resulted in a significant increase in KC and IL-6 levels compared to air exposed cells. Exposure to PG/VG with both doses of eugenol resulted in a significant increase in KC and IL-6 levels compared to air and PG/VG exposed cells. These data indicate the ability of aerosol exposure to e-cigarette flavoring chemicals to significantly increase pro-inflammatory cytokine release in macrophages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Irfan Rahman
- Correspondence to: Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Box 850, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester 14642, NY, USA.
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Shaikh SB, Tung WC, Pang C, Lucas J, Li D, Rahman I. Flavor Classification/Categorization and Differential Toxicity of Oral Nicotine Pouches (ONPs) in Oral Gingival Epithelial Cells and Bronchial Epithelial Cells. TOXICS 2022; 10:660. [PMID: 36355951 PMCID: PMC9696007 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10110660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Oral nicotine pouches (ONPs) are a modern form of smokeless tobacco products sold by several brands in the U.S., which comprise a significant portion of non-combustible nicotine-containing product (NCNP) sales to date. ONPs are available in various flavors and may contain either tobacco-derived nicotine (TDN) or tobacco-free nicotine (TFN). The growth in popularity of these products has raised concerns that flavored ONPs may cause adverse oral health effects and promote systemic toxic effects due to nicotine and other ONP by-products being absorbed into the circulatory system through oral mucosa. We hypothesized that flavored ONPs are unsafe and likely to cause oral and pulmonary inflammation in oral and respiratory epithelial cells. Before analyzing the effects of ONPs, we first classified ONPs sold in the U.S. based on their flavor and the flavor category to which they belonged using a wheel diagram. Human gingival epithelial cells (HGEP) were treated with flavored ONP extracts of tobacco (original, smooth), menthol (wintergreen and cool cider), and fruit flavor (americana and citrus), each from the TDN and TFN groups. The levels of ONP-induced inflammatory cytokine release (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8) by ELISA, cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by CellRox Green, and cytotoxicity by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay in HGEP cells were assessed. Flavored ONP extracts elicited differential toxicities in a dose- and extract-dependent manner in HGEP cells 24 h post-treatment. Both fruit TDN and TFN extracts resulted in the greatest cytotoxicity. Tobacco- and fruit-flavored, but not menthol-flavored, ONPs resulted in increased ROS production 4 h post-treatment. Flavored ONPs led to differential cytokine release (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8) which varied by flavor (menthol, tobacco, or fruit) and nicotine (TDN vs. TFN) 24 h post-treatment. Menthol-flavored ONPs led to the most significant TNF-α release; fruit TFN resulted in the most significant IL-6 release; and fruit TDN and tobacco TFN led to the highest release of IL-8. Subsequently, human bronchial epithelial cells (16-HBE and BEAS-2B) were also treated with flavored ONP extracts, and similar assays were evaluated. Here, the lowest concentration treatments displayed increased cytotoxicity. The most striking response was observed among cells treated with spearmint and tobacco flavored ONPs. Our data suggest that flavored ONPs are unsafe and likely to cause systemic and local toxicological responses during chronic usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadiya Bi Shaikh
- Department of Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Wai Cheung Tung
- Department of Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Cortney Pang
- Department of Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Joseph Lucas
- Department of Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Dongmei Li
- Department of Clinical and Translational Science Institute, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Irfan Rahman
- Department of Environmental Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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Manevski M, Yogeswaran S, Rahman I, Devadoss D, Chand HS. E-cigarette synthetic cooling agent WS-23 and nicotine aerosols differentially modulate airway epithelial cell responses. Toxicol Rep 2022; 9:1823-1830. [PMID: 36518432 PMCID: PMC9742947 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2022.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Electronic cigarette (e-cig) aerosol exposures are strongly associated with pulmonary dysfunctions, and the airway epithelial cells (AECs) of respiratory passages play a pivotal role in understanding this association. However, not much is known about the effect of synthetic cooling agents such as WS-23 on AECs. WS-23 is a synthetic menthol-like cooling agent widely used to enhance the appeal of e-cigs and to suppress the harshness and bitterness of other e-cig constituents. Using primary human AECs, we compared the effects of aerosolized WS-23 with propylene glycol/vegetable glycerin (PG/VG) vehicle control and nicotine aerosol exposures. AECs treated with 3 % WS-23 aerosols showed a significant increase in viable cell numbers compared to PG/VG-vehicle aerosol exposed cells and cell growth was comparable following 2.5 % nicotine aerosol exposure. AEC inflammatory factors, IL-6 and ICAM-1 levels were significantly suppressed by WS-23 aerosols compared to PG/VG-controls. When differentiated AECs were challenged with WS-23 aerosols, there was a significant increase in secretory mucin MUC5AC expression with no discernible change in airway inflammatory SCGB1A1 expression. Compared to PG/VG-controls, WS-23 or nicotine aerosols presented with increased MUC5AC expression, but there was no synergistic effect of WS-23 + nicotine combination exposure. Thus, WS-23 and nicotine aerosols modulate the AEC responses and induce goblet cell hyperplasia, which could impact the airway physiology and susceptibility to respiratory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko Manevski
- Department of Immunology and NanoMedicine, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Shaiesh Yogeswaran
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Irfan Rahman
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Dinesh Devadoss
- Department of Immunology and NanoMedicine, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Hitendra S. Chand
- Department of Immunology and NanoMedicine, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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