The United States had been studying the after-effects of electronic cigarettes smoking. Researchers have found that Electronic Cigarettes produce a stress response in brain cells. Ultimately these cells get addicted to this smoke and become specialized to this function. Now, these brain cells are called as the stem cells.
Over and over again we had been warning people for traditional smoking for its harmful effects and always guided it is injurious to health. But now this alternative smoking Electronic Cigarettes smoking has its own health risks.
What is the SIMH in Electronic Cigarettes?
SIMH is stress induced mitochondrial hyper-fusion. Electronic Cigarettes on heating aerosolizes nicotine and flavor chemicals. Earlier researchers from the University of California said it is a safe and harmless therefore repeatedly targeted to youth and pregnant women. But now this study has taken a different shape.
Latest, it has been reported that even short-term exposure to Electronic Cigarettes can stress brain cells and with chronic use, to cell death. This was said by Prue Talbot, lead researcher of the study.
How high level of nicotine is affected?
Atena Zahedi (First author of the study) said the high levels of nicotine in Electronic Cigarettes lead to a nicotine flooding of special receptors in the neural stem cell membrane. The binding of Nicotine to these receptors causes them to open up. Researchers explained that calcium and other ions begin to enter the cell, and eventually, excess calcium gets accumulated. Higher calcium in the mitochondria is harmful. Mitochondria swell up changing their morphology and function. This can even rupture the cell which leads to cell death.
Diagrammatic presentation of the damage caused to brain stem cells by Electronic Cigarettes
What is the effect of the damage of cell mitochondria?
The damaged brain stem cell with the habit of Electronic Cigarettes would lead to aging and also neurodegenerative diseases.
Youth and pregnant women need to pay special attention to it, said Talbot and Zahedi because the brains are in a critical stage of development. “Nicotine can affect the brain in multiple ways that may impair memory, learning, and cognition during prenatal or teenager development.
“Electronic Cigarettes are equally dangerous to a traditional cigarette”
“Prevention is always better than Cure”
