Cigarillos Compromise the Mucosal Barrier and Protein Expression in Airway Epithelia.

ABSTRACT: Smoking remains a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite a downward trend in cigarette use, less-regulated tobacco products, such as cigarillos, which are often flavored to appeal to specific demographics, such as younger people, are becoming increasingly popular. Cigar/cigarillo smoking has been considered a safer alternative to cigarettes; however, the health risks associated with cigar in comparison with cigarette smoking are not well understood. To address this knowledge gap, we characterized the effects of multiple brands of cigarillos on the airway epithelium using ex vivo and in vivo models. To analyze these effects, we assessed the cellular viability and integrity of smoke-exposed primary airway cell cultures. We also investigated the

SUBMITTER: Abdelwahab SH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7790145 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature