DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2019.01.036

Czekala L¹, Simms L², Stevenson M², Tschierske N², Maione AG³, Walele T².
¹ Imperial Brands PLC, 121 Winterstoke Road, Bristol, BS3 2LL, UK. Electronic address: Lukasz.Czekala@uk.imptob.com.
² Imperial Brands PLC, 121 Winterstoke Road, Bristol, BS3 2LL, UK.
³ MatTek, 200 Homer Ave., Ashland, MA, USA.

In this research article a respiratory epithelial model, EpiAirway, was used to examine the biological effects of nicotine-containing blu PLUS + e-cigarettes, in comparison to conventional cigarette smoke. Tissues were exposed at the air-liquid interface to cigarette smoke or e-cigarette aerosol generated using a VITROCELL VC1 smoking/vaping robot. 

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DOI: 10.1089/aivt.2018.0001
Holger Behrsing,¹ Mario Aragon,¹ Jason Adamson,² Devin Sheehan,¹ Marianna Gaca,² Rodger Curren,¹ and Erin Hill^1
1Respiratory Toxicology, Institute for In Vitro Sciences, Inc., Gaithersburg, Maryland.
²R&D, British American Tobacco, Southampton, United Kingdom.

The study shows an assessment of VC1 aerosol generation that was conducted by measuring puff-by-puff in vitro nicotine concentration of 3R4F cigarettes (ISO and HCI regimes), e-cigarette (CRM81 puffing profile), and THP (HCIm regime). The aerosols were applied to in vitro or ex vivo cellular and tissue systems that model the respiratory tract, such as reconstructed human airways (RHuA), which are grown at the air–liquid interface (ALI). Additionally a comparison between the Vitrocell VC1 (U.S. Laboratory) and the VC10 (UK Laboratory) Smoking Robot was done.

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D. Sheehan¹, M. Aragon¹, J. Adamson², M. Gaca², H. Raabe¹, and H. Behrsing¹.
¹Institute for In Vitro Sciences, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD; and 2British American Tobacco, Southampton, United Kingdom.

This study demonstrates successful Vitrocell VC1 aerosol generation and delivery across multiple nicotine product categories (3R4F cigarette smoke, e-liquid and THP), as characterised using nicotine as a dosimetry marker. The data suggests the VC1 can reproducibly generate and deliver tobacco product and NGP aerosols for future in vitro assessment and matches the performance of reported exposure systems.

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Lukasz Czekala¹, Matthew Stevenson¹, Liam Simms¹, Nicole Tschierske¹, Anna G. Maione², Tanvir Walele^3
1 Imperial Tobacco Ltd, 121 Winterstoke Road, Bristol, BS3 2LL UK
² MatTek, 200 Homer Ave., Ashland, MA, USA
³ Fontem Ventures B.V., an Imperial Brands PLC Company, Radarweg60, 1043 NT Amsterdam

A 3D in vitro organotypic model of the human respiratory epithelium was cultured at the Air-Liquid Interface (ALI) and exposed to cigarette smoke and e-cigarette aerosol, generated by using a VITROCELL® VC1 smoking machine under Health Canada Intense and CORESTA conditions.
The results are shown in tissue viability (MTT), barrier integrity (TEER), Barrier function, tissue secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-8). The presence of 8-isoprostane is used as an indicator of oxidative stress and antioxidant deficiency. Additionally the tissue morphology was assessed by H&E staining and immunofluorescent staining was conducted for specific markers.

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DOI: 10.1089/aivt.2016.0035
Wanda Fields,¹ Anna Maione,² Brian Keyser,¹ and Betsy Bombick¹

¹RAI Services Company, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
²MatTek Corporation, Ashland, Massachusetts.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of aerosol from two reference combustible cigarettes and two e-cigarettes by using the VC1 smoking machine with the air-liquid interface and to evaluate donor-to-donor variability of three EpiAirway tissue donors with the endpoints viability, barrier integrity, and gene promoter/expression regulation.

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