Table 1. Physical and Physiological Characteristics.
Cohort | Mean (SD) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day 1 Weight, g | Day 30 Weight, g | Serum Cotinine Levels, ng/mLa | ||||||
Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 14 | Day 15 | Day 29 | Day 30 | |||
Negative control (n = 15) | 99.9 (2.23) | 310.9 (17.4) | 1.8 (0.05) | 1.8 (0.11) | 1.6 (1.1) | 1.0 (0.44) | NA | NA |
Positive control (n = 15) | 99.7 (2.25) | 322.7 (21.6) | 85.4 (5.5) | 106.2 (5.7) | 162.5 (9.3) | 169.9 (3.8) | 168.2 (7.0) | 168.3 (8.0) |
Experimental (n = 15) | 100.1 (3.09) | 323.6 (25.5) | 130.6 (6.4) | 134.9 (6.5) | 159.4 (6.6) | 160.1 (5.1) | 163.3 (10.7) | 178.4 (10.2) |
Abbreviation: NA, not applicable.
SI conversion factor: To convert ng/mL to nmol/L, multiply by 5.68.
Serum cotinine levels were determined on the basis of saphenous vein blood collection and subsequent cotinine ELISA testing at various time points for 5 randomly selected rats. The goal was to stabilize cotinine levels in the experimental (exposed to e-cigarette vapor) and positive control (exposed to traditional cigarette smoke) groups between 150 ng/mL and 200 ng/mL (approximately 1 pack of cigarettes per day).