# Studying e-cigarettes risk to reproductive health



## fbb1964 (14/4/21)

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-04-e-cigarettes-reproductive-health.html

APRIL 12, 2021

*Studying e-cigarettes risk to reproductive health*
by Savannah Goldstein, University of Saskatchewan






Credit: CC0 Public Domain
"The use of the word 'healthier' in this context, as if it is synonymous with 'less harmful," is misleading if not deceitful," said Honaramooz, a professor and researcher in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine's Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences. "In the absence of evidence, the premise for claiming e-cigarettes as being less harmful than smoking is shaky."

Honaramooz's successful research program focuses on reproductive technologies for use in animals and people. He and his team of researchers are recognized globally for their award-winning work with cell imaging and the successful regeneration of functional testis tissue from stem cells in vitro (in a petri dish) and in vivo (implanted in living mice).

In 2020, his laboratory team designed an experiment that allows researchers to identify and study in detail the effects of e-cigarette use on the health and development of testis tissue. This latest project is inspired by a recent Health Canada survey which found that e-cigarette use by Canadian youth tripled between 2014 and 2019, jumping from a prevalence rate of six percent to 20 percent in only five years.

"I usually look for important, everyday applied or clinical questions that can be answered using my specialty and the study tools that we have at our disposal," said Honaramooz. "As a father of three teenagers, I feel this research may help shed light on some aspects of e-cigarettes that are not sufficiently studied and may help to inform young individuals and their parents, as well as practitioners and policy makers."

Expectant mothers are another demographic group at the greatest risk of experiencing poor reproductive health and fetal development as the result of e-cigarette use. Despite the risks, pregnant women defended their use of these products as a healthy alternative to conventional cigarettes in survey responses.

Unlike other vital body systems that are fully developed at birth, the reproductive system is left purposefully underdeveloped until puberty. This leaves the developing organ susceptible to interference by carcinogens and chemical toxicant—much like those found in e-cigarette vapours—from early fetal development into late adolescence.

Honaramooz and his team successfully regenerated functional testis tissue from stem cells by modifying the testis cell aggregate implantation technique. With this modified method, researchers isolate various testis cells and gonocytes (the stem cell precursor to sperm) from donor pig testis and inject them under the back skin of recipient laboratory mice. The result is a fully re-formed testis tissue implant, capable of producing both functional sperm and male steroid hormones.

Different substances, such as e-cigarette vapor, can then be introduced to the developing tissue so scientists can study the effects directly and in real time—a feat which, until recently, was considered impossible.

Since Honaramooz has the ability to manipulate testis tissue during varying points in development, his research team can model the effects of e-cigarette vapor and other toxicants on testis tissue as it occurs in fetal, newborn and prepubescent individuals. The scientists can also use their model to investigate the effects of second-hand e-cigarette exposure and to test different e-cigarette flavors and varying doses of nicotine.

Given the sheer lack of background information on vaping toxicology, Honaramooz isn't sure what his research team will discover. Still, they expect to find something.

"You see, toxicology is all about dose. … At reasonably relevant doses, I probably expect to see subtle changes such as in gene expression and possibly cell behavior," said Honaramooz. "Again, the effects do not necessarily have to be significant or visible to cause major functional consequences. … [Even subtle differences] can lead to carcinoma and germ cell testicular cancer."

In the meantime, Honaramooz warns consumers to be wary of products marketed as healthy, especially where common sense suggests otherwise.

"My own advice is to stick with what has worked over millions of years of evolution: the basic, unaltered primary food and drink items in their natural and non-modified form—just as we follow manufacturer's instructions in choosing the fuel for our cars."

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## DavyH (14/4/21)

fbb1964 said:


> "My own advice is to stick with what has worked over millions of years of evolution: the basic, unaltered primary food and drink items in their natural and non-modified form—just as we follow manufacturer's instructions in choosing the fuel for our cars."



I'm presuming by 'natural' and 'non-modified', he means raw. This ignores the basic fact that cooking is one of the primary factors that aided in the development of the human brain due to the lower amount of energy required to digest cooked foods resulting in redirection of energy towards brain growth. Clearly the alterations in air composition due to pollution should be completely undone and humanity should revert to a completely agrarian or hunter-gatherer social structure in order to achieve this aim.

That said, using fuel - a highly refined and modified product - for cars as an example is plain stupid.

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## fbb1964 (14/4/21)

DavyH said:


> I'm presuming by 'natural' and 'non-modified', he means raw. This ignores the basic fact that cooking is one of the primary factors that aided in the development of the human brain due to the lower amount of energy required to digest cooked foods resulting in redirection of energy towards brain growth. Clearly the alterations in air composition due to pollution should be completely undone and humanity should revert to a completely agrarian or hunter-gatherer social structure in order to achieve this aim.
> 
> That said, using fuel - a highly refined and modified product - for cars as an example is plain stupid.



Exactly. I agree. This caught my eye. What else can they manipulate as well? It's like some of the nicotine tests performed in the anti vaping science reports based on mice as test subjects. They used massive doses of high percentage nicotine. Unbelievable high doses of nicotine will kill anything. Including humans. Hence vaping hugely diluted nicotine but that fact is hidden from their "science" reports. Or in others they claim vaping doesn't stop smokers from smoking cigarettes. But the nicotine level in the juice they used for testing was almost completely missing. Wtf! So vaping almost zero percentage nicotine in a vape juice will let smokers stop smoking. I don't think so. Their test proved absolutely nothing as we all would know.

I quote from the report.

Since Honaramooz has the ability to *manipulate* testis tissue during varying points in development, his research team can model the effects of e-cigarette vapor and other toxicants on testis tissue as it occurs in fetal, newborn and prepubescent individuals. The scientists can also use their model to investigate the effects of second-hand e-cigarette exposure and to test different e-cigarette flavors and varying doses of nicotine.

Or this statement he made. Either he's just plain dumb, blind or don't know how to use Google for proper scientific "Vaping is 95% safer than smoking" proof tests results published. I'd say it's deliberately misleading for a reason. To make he's own findings and statements seem more credible. Like he knows what he's talking about which is definitely not the case as clearly illustrated.

"In the absence of evidence, the premise for claiming e-cigarettes as being less harmful than smoking is shaky."

Reactions: Like 2


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