Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 30, 2026
11:06
Daily Phototherapy with Red Light to Regulate Candida albicans Biofilm Growth
Published on: April 23, 2019
8.2K
E-Cigarettes Increase Candida albicans Growth and Modulate its Interaction with Gingival Epithelial Cells
Humidah Alanazi1, Abdelhabib Semlali2, Witold Chmielewski3
1Groupe de Recherche en Écologie Buccale, Faculté de Médecine Dentaire, Université Laval, 2420 de la Terrasse, Québec (Québec) Canada G1V 0A6. humidah.alanazi.1@ulaval.ca.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|January 24, 2019
Summary
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) can increase the growth and virulence of Candida albicans, a common oral fungus. This may heighten the risk of oral candidiasis, a fungal infection, in e-cigarette users.
Area of Science:
- Oral microbiology
- Medical mycology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are increasingly popular, raising concerns about their oral health effects.
- The oral cavity harbors microorganisms like Candida albicans, a fungus with pathogenic potential.
- E-cigarette vapor contains various chemicals that may interact with oral microbes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of e-cigarette vapor on Candida albicans growth and virulence.
- To assess the effects of e-cigarette-exposed C. albicans on human gingival epithelial cells.
Main Methods:
- Exposure of C. albicans to e-cigarette vapor, with varying nicotine concentrations.
- Analysis of C. albicans growth, chitin production, hyphal elongation, and gene expression (SAPs).
- Co-culture experiments with gingival epithelial cells to evaluate adherence, morphology, growth, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity.
Main Results:
- Nicotine-rich e-cigarette vapor significantly increased C. albicans growth and chitin production.
- E-cigarette exposure enhanced C. albicans hyphal length and the expression of SAP2, SAP3, and SAP9 genes.
- E-cigarette-exposed C. albicans showed increased adherence to epithelial cells, leading to cell differentiation, reduced growth, and increased LDH activity.
Conclusions:
- E-cigarettes can promote Candida albicans pathogenesis, potentially increasing the risk of oral candidiasis.
- The findings suggest a link between e-cigarette use and altered oral fungal dynamics.
- Further research is warranted to understand the clinical implications for oral health in e-cigarette users.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Increasing Function
391
An increasing function exhibits a rise in output values as input values increase. This behavior is depicted graphically as a curve or line that slopes upward from left to right. Such a function satisfies the condition that if x1 < x2, then f(x1) < f(x2), indicating that the function values grow with increasing inputs. This concept is fundamental in understanding growth trends across various domains, such as population dynamics, financial investments, or resource consumption.The...
391
00:57Population Growth
28.4K
Population size is dynamic, increasing with birth rates and immigration, and decreasing with death rates and emigration. In ideal conditions with unlimited resources, populations can increase exponentially, which plots as a J-shaped growth rate curve of population size against time. This type of curve is characteristic of newly-introduced invasive species, or populations that have suffered catastrophic declines and are rebounding.
28.4K
01:25Increased Body Temperature
7.5K
A body temperature above 38°C (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in...
7.5K
01:17Increased pulse rate
1.2K
Tachycardia is a condition marked by an abnormally fast or irregular heart rate, surpassing the typical resting rate. In adults, tachycardia is characterized by a pulse rate ranging from 100 to 180 beats per minute. The increased heart rate can result in inadequate blood flow to various body parts, ultimately diminishing the oxygen supply to organs and tissues.
Many factors can elevate the risk of developing tachycardia. These include advanced age, a family history of arrhythmias, and an...
Many factors can elevate the risk of developing tachycardia. These include advanced age, a family history of arrhythmias, and an...
1.2K
02:36Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation
5.1K
Cell size is a significant factor impacting cellular design, function, and fitness. There exists some internal coordination by which cells double their masses before division, thus, achieving homeostasis. Coordination between cell growth and proliferation depends on the checkpoints in between cell cycle phases. Loss of coordination or failure in the checkpoint mechanism can drive the cell to uncontrolled growth and loss of cellular function. Like dividing cells that coordinate cellular growth,...
5.1K
02:36Meristems and Plant Growth
49.5K
Plants grow throughout their lives; this is called indeterminate growth, and it distinguishes plants from most animals. Although certain parts of plants stop growing (e.g., leaves and flowers), others grow continuously—like roots and stems.
49.5K