Aerobic Exercise versus Electronic Cigarette in Vascular Aging Process: First Histological Insight

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Toxicology
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Smoking is linked to vascular aging, but e-cigarette effects remain debated.
• Moderate aerobic exercise is known to reduce aortic stiffness.
• Limited research exists on e-cigarette impact on aortic structure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of e-cigarette exposure and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on the aortic structure of Wistar rats.
• To compare the histopathological changes in the aorta among different exposure groups.

Main Methods:

• 26 male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control, exercise, e-cigarette, and e-cigarette plus exercise.
• Animals were exposed to e-cigarette (6mg nicotine) or moderate exercise for 6 weeks.
• Aorta analysis included hematoxylin-eosin and Verhoeff-Van Gieson staining for elastic lamina fragmentation and intimal-medial thickness.

Main Results:

• E-cigarette exposure resulted in the highest elastic lamina fragmentation (8.14 ± 2.85).
• Exercise alone showed the lowest fragmentation (2.50 ± 1.87).
• Combined e-cigarette and exercise group had higher fragmentation (5.83 ± 0.753) than exercise alone (p=0.002). Significant differences in NO serum levels were observed between groups.

Conclusions:

• E-cigarette exposure causes significant aortic elastic lamina injury, contributing to vascular aging.
• Moderate aerobic exercise did not demonstrate a protective or reversing effect against e-cigarette-induced aortic damage.
• Findings suggest potential risks of e-cigarettes on vascular health, independent of exercise.