title: Comparison between electronic cigarette refill liquid and nicotine on metabolic parameters in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nicotine is known to promote body weight loss and to disturb glucose homeostasis and lipoprotein metabolism. Electronic cigarettes, as a substitute to nicotine, are becoming increasingly popular, although there is no evidence regarding their safety. Considering the dearth of information about e-cigarette toxicity, the present study was designed to compare nicotine alone to e-liquid with or without nicotine on metabolic parameters in Wistar rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  For this purpose, e-liquid with or without nicotine and nicotine alone (0.5mg/kg of body weight) were administered intra-peritoneally during 28 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results show a significant decrease in food and energy intake after nicotine or e-liquid with nicotine exposure, when compared to control or e-liquid without nicotine. Analysis of lipid status identified a significant decrease in cholesterol and LDL levels in e-cigarette groups, suggesting an improvement in lipid profile. Interestingly, e-liquid without nicotine induced hyperglycemia which is negatively correlated to hepatic glycogen level, acting like nicotine alone. Furthermore, an increase in liver biomarkers was observed in all treated groups. qRT-PCR analysis showed GSK3β up-regulation in e-liquid with nicotine as well as, surprisingly, in e-liquid without nicotine exposure. In contrast, PEPCK genes were only up-regulated in e-liquid with nicotine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While some features observed in rats may not be observed in human smokers, most of our data are consistent with, e-liquid per se i.e. without nicotine, not being neutral from a metabolic stand point since disrupting glucose homeostasis in rats.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives (LMBA), Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia. Electronic address: nelgolli@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Narges
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: El Golli
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives (LMBA), Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Houssem
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dkhili
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives (LMBA), Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Yosra
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dallagi
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives (LMBA), Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Dalila
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rahali
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives (LMBA), Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Montassar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lasram
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives (LMBA), Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bini-Dhouib
authors.affiliation: INSERM U1176, Kremlin-Bicêtre Hospital, Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: Maryline
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lebret
authors.affiliation: INSERM U1176, Kremlin-Bicêtre Hospital, Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Microorganismes et Biomolécules Actives (LMBA), Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Saloua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El Fazaa
authors.affiliation: L99ES11 Research Laboratory Department of Biochemistry, Rabta Hospital, El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Monia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allal-El Asmi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000378:metabolism; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine; D006003:Glycogen; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: E-liquid; Metabolic disorders; Nicotine; Rat; Toxicity