Comparison of Tobacco-Containing and Tobacco-Free Waterpipe Products: Effects on Human Alveolar Cells

In recent years, a class of products marketed as "tobacco-free" alternatives for the "health conscious user" has become widely available for waterpipe (hookah, narghile, or shisha) smoking. Their adoption may be in part driven by regulations banning tobacco smoking in public plac...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nicotine & tobacco research 2014-04, Vol.16 (4), p.496-499
Main Authors: Shihadeh, Alan, Eissenberg, Thomas, Rammah, Mayassa, Salman, Rola, Jaroudi, Ezzat, El-Sabban, Marwan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Brief Report
BRIEF REPORTS
Cell Cycle Checkpoints - drug effects
Cell Line
Cell Proliferation - drug effects
Epithelial Cells - cytology
Epithelial Cells - drug effects
Humans
Middle Aged
Pulmonary Alveoli - cytology
Smoke - adverse effects
Smoking - adverse effects
Tobacco Products - adverse effects
Young Adult
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Summary:In recent years, a class of products marketed as "tobacco-free" alternatives for the "health conscious user" has become widely available for waterpipe (hookah, narghile, or shisha) smoking. Their adoption may be in part driven by regulations banning tobacco smoking in public places and by an increasing awareness of the hazards of waterpipe tobacco smoking. Although these products are presented in advertising as a "healthier" choice, very little is known about their health effects. In this study, we compared the effects of smoke generated with tobacco-free and conventional tobacco-derived products on human alveolar cells. Smoke was generated with a smoking machine that precisely mimicked the puffing behavior of 15 experienced waterpipe smokers when they used conventional waterpipe tobacco products of their choice and flavor-matched tobacco-free products. Human alveolar epithelial cells (A549) were treated with particulate matter sampled from the smoke, and the effects on cell cycle, proliferation, and doubling time were measured during the subsequent 72hr. We found that smoke from both types of waterpipe products markedly reduced cell proliferation, caused cell cycle arrest at G0/G1, and increased cell doubling time. There were no significant differences across product in any measure. Tobacco-free and tobacco-based waterpipe products exert substantial and similar deleterious effects on human lung cells. This study adds to the nascent evidence base indicating that except for exposure to nicotine and its derivatives, use of tobacco-free waterpipe products does not present a reduced health risk relative to the use of conventional tobacco-based products.
ISSN:1462-2203
1469-994X
DOI:10.1093/ntr/ntt193