Using X-ray scattering to investigate effects of e-cigarette additives on pulmonary membrane structure

Pulmonary surfactant is an important part of the respiratory system. It forms membranes that line the passages inside the lungs. One important function of the pulmonary surfactant is to lower the surface tension at the interface between water and air in the alveoli—or air sacs—of the lungs, preventing alveolar collapse upon exhalation. In 2019 over two thousand people had lung injuries associated with e-cigarette use. Most of these injuries are correlated to the use of certain chemical additives in e-cigarette flavorings. We hypothesize that these chemical additives are changing the structure of the pulmonary surfactant membranes, preventing the pulmonary surfactant from properly functioning to protect the lungs from injury. In this study we use Small- and Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS & WAXS) to investigate how the structure of the pulmonary surfactant membranes is altered by the addition of these e-cigarette chemical flavorings.