Characterization of a Vitrocell VC1 Using Nicotine Dosimetry: An Essential Component Toward Standardized In Vitro Aerosol Exposure of Tobacco and Next Generation Nicotine Delivery Products

June 21, 2018

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has regulatory authority over tobacco products, including conventional cigarettes and next generation products (NGPs) such as e-cigarettes and tobacco heating products (THPs).  There is a desire by the industry, regulators and animal protection organizations to incorporate non-animal test methods for tobacco product and NGP assessment.  When assessing respiratory effects in vitro, reliable exposure systems that deliver aerosols to cellular/tissue cultures (such as human reconstructed airways or lung slices) at the air–liquid interface are needed.  Using nicotine dosimetry, we report the characterization of a Vitrocell VC1 in our laboratories (IIVS, USA).  Nicotine, generated from a 3R4F reference cigarette or NGP (e-cigarette and THP) aerosols at source and the exposure interface (culture media), was assessed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry.  These data were compared to published dosimetry data for the same products, generated at a different laboratory (BAT R&D, Southampton, UK), on different exposure systems (VC10 and Borgwaldt RM20S) to confirm repeatability.

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