[Pregnant women's use of tobacco and electronic cigarettes: A cross sectional survey]

OBJECTIVES

The article aims to describe tobacco and e-cigarette use among pregnant women: estimate the prevalence, identify the determinants and motivations of these behaviours.

METHODS

Cross-sectional, multicentre, descriptive observational study using self-administered questionnaires for pregnant women who visited ELENA healthcare centers in May 2021.

RESULTS

Of 223 patients, 38% were smokers before pregnancy and 16% continued to smoke during pregnancy. Nearly all the smokers (98%) declared that they had reduced or stopped their tobacco use, mostly without help. Young age, lack of professional activity, an unfavourable reaction to the announcement of the pregnancy, heavy smoking before the pregnancy and the presence of a smoker spouse were associated with smoking during pregnancy. Our study identified 10% of vapers before pregnancy and 7.2% during pregnancy. Of those who vaped during pregnancy, 81% were smokers before pregnancy. Most of them used a nicotine containing liquid and 38% of vapers combined smoking and e-cigarettes during pregnancy. There was no association between vaping during pregnancy and smoking cessation. A minority of women had received information about smoking during pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of electronic cigarettes by pregnant women is a poorly-known reality in France, yet it concerns approximately 7% of the women in our sample. Prospective studies on larger numbers are needed to assess the prevalence of vaping among French pregnant women and its evolution during pregnancy.

[Relationship between vaping and smoking among 15-year-olds in high school. Results of a descriptive cross-sectional and monocentric observational study conducted in the metropolitan area of Saint-Étienne]

INTRODUCTION

The initiation of smoking among adolescents by vaping is a subject of controversy. This study focuses on the prevalence of electronic cigarette use among teenagers and its connection with the consumption of tobacco.

METHODS

A cross-sectional and monocentric study was conducted in the spring of 2018 and included 1435 students (15-16years old) from the metropolitan area of Saint-Étienne in France.

RESULTS

Nearly half of the adolescents experimented with e-cigarettes (50.30%) or tobacco (50.40%). Nearly a quarter are vapers (23.60%) or smokers (28.20%), with low daily use (3.65% for vaping and 9.40% for smoking). In regard to the link between smoking and vaping, 64.85% of adolescents are "non-smokers and non-vapers", 17.60% "smokers and vapers", 11.25% "smokers and non-vapers", and 6.30% "non-smokers and vapers".

DISCUSSION

The portrait-types of the vaper and the smoker are similar: boy rather than girl, educated in private school rather than public, and enrolled in a vocational rather than a general educational course. On one hand, the use of electronic cigarettes in non-smoking adolescents does not appear to be a major mode of entry into smoking or nicotine addiction. On the other hand, the use of electronic cigarettes among adolescent's smokers seems to have a beneficial effect on their smoking habit (stopping or reducing the consumption of tobacco).

Physical, morphological and chemical modification of Al-based nanofillers in by-products of incinerated nanocomposites and related biological outcome

The number of products containing nanomaterials is increasing this last ten years. Information and literature about the end-of-life of nanocomposites often remains partial and does not address the overall fate and transformations of nanoparticles that may affect biological responses. This paper underlines that the physico-chemical features of nanoparticles can be modified by the incineration process and the available toxicological data on pristine nanofillers might not be relevant to assess the modified nanoparticles included in soot. Combustion tests have been performed at lab-scale using a cone calorimeter modified to collect fumes (particulate matter and gas phase) and have been characterized using various techniques. Nanocomposites selected were poly(ethylene vinyl acetate) containing Al-based nanoparticles, i.e. boehmites or alumina. Evaluations of in vitro cytotoxicity responses on pristine nanofillers, soot and residual ash, show that safe boehmite nanoparticles, become toxic due to a chemical modification after incineration process.

[Bench-test evaluation of spacer devices for fluticasone delivery to infants]

INTRODUCTION

Use of a spacer device to optimize the delivery of fluticasone to infants with asthma is an important issue and clinicians require guidance around the choice of device. This in vitro study characterizes the particle size and the fluticasone delivery via 9 spacers.

METHODS

We used an in vitro infant nasal cast with two different inspiratory flow rates (50 and 100mL/s). Fluticasone particle size in the aerosol was evaluated by laser diffractometry and tracheal deposition by spectrophotometric assay.

RESULTS

Significant differences in particle size were observed between the 9 spacers (similar D50 but D90 from 5.65±0.65 to 8.80±1.35μm). A 75 % or higher respirable fraction was obtained for only 5 spacers. The 50mL/s flow rate lead to the best drug delivery. At this flow, OptiChamber^® (62±3 %) and Vortex^® (91±8.5 %) had a tracheal deposition over 50 % of the initial dose of fluticasone, although the 7 other spacers exhibited a fluticasone deposition less than 25 %.

DISCUSSION

This study shows a wide variation of drug delivery between the 9 spacers studied. We demonstrate that a low inspiratory flow and a spacer showing antistatic properties facilitate drug delivery.

Testicular biodistribution of 450 nm fluorescent latex particles after intramuscular injection in mice

The significant expansion in the use of nanoparticles and submicron particles during the last 20 years has led to increasing concern about their potential toxicity to humans and particularly their impact on male fertility. Currently, an insufficient number of studies have focused on the testicular biodistribution of particles. The aim of our study was to assess the distribution of 450 nm fluorescent particles in mouse testes after intramuscular injection. To this end, testes were removed from 5 groups of 3 mice each at 1 h (H1), 4 days (D4), 21 days (D21), 45 days (D45) and 90 days (D90) after the injection of 7.28 × 10⁹ particles in the tibialis anterior muscles of each mouse. We examined histological sections from these samples by epifluorescence microscopy and confocal microscopy and identified testicular biodistribution of a small number of particles in groups H1, D4, D21, D45 and D90. Using CD11b immunostaining, we showed that particles were not carried into the testis by macrophages. The intratesticular repartition of particles mainly followed testicular vascularization. Finally, we found some particles in seminiferous tubules but could not determine if the blood-testis barrier was crossed.

[Inhalation therapy: inhaled corticosteroids in ENT, development and technical challenges of powder inhalers, nebulisers synchronized with breathing and aerosol size distribution. GAT aerosolstorming, Paris 2012]

The working group on aerosol therapy (GAT) of the Société de Pneumologie de Langue Française (SPLF) has organized its third Aerosolstorming in 2012. During one single day, different aspects of inhaled therapies have been treated and are detailed in two articles, this one being the second. This text deals with the indications of inhaled corticosteroids in ENT, the development and technical challenges of powder inhalers, the advantages and disadvantages of each type of technologies to measure the particle sizes of inhaled treatments.

Size of submicrometric and nanometric particles affect cellular uptake and biological activity of macrophages in vitro

BACKGROUND

Micrometric and nanometric particles are increasingly used in different fields and may exhibit variable toxicity levels depending on their physicochemical characteristics. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the size parameter on cellular uptake and biological activity, working with well-characterized fluorescent particles. We focused our attention on macrophages, the main target cells of the respiratory system responsible for the phagocytosis of the particles.

METHODS

FITC fluorescent silica particles of variable submicronic sizes (850, 500, 250 and 150 nm) but with similar surface coating (COOH) were tailored and physico-chemically characterized. These particles were then incubated with the RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. After microscopic observations (SEM, TEM, confocal), a quantitative evaluation of the uptake was carried out. Fluorescence detected after a quenching with trypan blue allows us to distinguish and quantify entirely engulfed fluorescent particles from those just adhering to the cell membrane. Finally, these data were compared to the in vitro toxicity assessed in terms of cell damage, inflammation and oxidative stress (evaluated by LDH release, TNF-α and ROS production respectively).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Particles were well characterized (fluorescence, size distribution, zeta potential, agglomeration and surface groups) and easily visualized after cellular uptake using confocal and electron microscopy. The number of internalized particles was precisely evaluated. Size was found to be an important parameter regarding particles uptake and in vitro toxicity but this latter strongly depends on the particles doses employed.

Sonic aerosol therapy to target maxillary sinuses

AIM

Intranasal aerosol administration of drugs is widely used by ENT specialists. Although clinical evidence is still lacking, intranasal nebulization appears to be an interesting therapeutic option for local drug delivery, targeting anatomic sites beyond the nasal valve. The sonic nebulizer NL11SN associates a 100Hertz (Hz) sound to the aerosolization to improve deposition in the nasal/paranasal sinuses. The aim of the present study was: to evaluate in vivo the influence of associating a 100Hz sound on sinus ventilation and nasal and pulmonary aerosol deposition in normal volunteers, and; to quantify in vitro aerosol deposition in the maxillary sinuses in a plastinated head model.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Scintigraphic analysis of (81m)Kr gas ventilation and of sonic aerosol ((99m)Tc-DTPA) deposition using the NL11SN was performed in vivo in seven healthy volunteers. In parallel, NL11SN gentamicin nebulization was performed, with or without associated 100Hz sound, in a plastinated human head model; the gross amount of gentamicin delivered to the paranasal sinuses was determined by fluorescence polarization immunoassay.

RESULTS

Associating the 100Hz sound to (81m)Kr gas ensured paranasal sinus ventilation in healthy volunteers. (99m)Tc-DTPA particles nebulized with the NL11SN were deposited predominantly in the nasal cavities (2/3, vs 1/3 in the lungs). In vitro, the use of NL11SN in sonic mode increased gentamicin deposition threefold in the plastinated model sinuses (P<0.002); the resulting antibiotic deposit would be sufficient to induce a local therapeutic effect.

CONCLUSION

The NL11SN nebulizer ensured preferential nasal cavity aerosol deposition and successfully targeted the maxillary sinuses.