E-cigarettes contain chemicals that destroy the intestinal barrier that leads to inflammation in the body and potential health issues, a new study published in the journal iScience noted.
The authors found that the inflammation was caused by two chemicals used as the base for all e-liquids - propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin.
The scientists used 3D models of a human intestinal tract, created from the patient's cells, and simulated the e-cigarettes effect on the intestinal mucosa. Scientists have confirmed these results using animal models.
The study found that epithelial tight junction markers, which represent the gut's first physical barrier, began to be destroyed or weakened by e-cigarettes.
This is the first study to demonstrate how chronic exposure to e-cigarettes increases the gut's susceptibility to bacterial infections, the study authors noted.
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