Endothelial-derived extracellular vesicles associated with electronic cigarette use impair cerebral microvascular cell function
Hannah L. Cardenas, Nicholas G. Evanoff, Hannah Fandl, Auburn R. Berry, Kendra N. Wegerson, Emily I. Ostrander, Jared J. Greiner, Sheena Dufresne, Michael Kotlyar, Donald R. Dengel, Christopher A. DeSouza, Vinícius P. Garcia
Abstract
In the present study, we determined the effect of circulating endothelial cell-derived microvesicles (EMVs) isolated from e-cigarette users on human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (hCMECs) nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin (ET)-1 production and tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) release. EMVs from e-cigarette users reduced brain microvascular endothelial cell NO production, enhanced ET-1 production, and impaired endothelial t-PA release. EMVs are a potential mediating factor in the increased risk of stroke associated with e-cigarette use.