To mimic the complex mechanism of breathing, it is necessary to keep the concentrations of the inhaled substances under control. For this reason, the aerosol produced by the cigarette connected to the vaping machine is collected in a liquid, the so-called “culture medium”, and condensed there. The medium is weighed before and after the vaping session and the concentration of e-liquid that has been evaporated and recondensed in the ground is calculated by difference. This same medium is then used at a later stage for toxicity tests on the model.
The culture medium added with an electronic cigarette aerosol is then “ready” to be put in contact with the cellular model. Technically the culture liquid containing the condensate comes into contact with three-dimensional co-cultures of alveolar epithelial cells (NCI-H441) and endothelial cells of the human pulmonary microcirculation (HPMEC).
The times and the ways of exposure of the cellular model to the medium are faithful to the indications of the protocols published on the international scientific literature in order to generate results comparable to those already available in the scientific panorama.
Once the exposure time has elapsed, the effects on the cells are measured using four different types of analyses: cell vitality / toxicity test, measuring of transmembrane electrical resistance, and quantification of inflammation mediators.