OpenVape: An Open-Source E-Cigarette Vapor Exposure Device for Rodents

The prevalence of “vaping” has recently seen significant increases in North America, especially in adolescents. However, the behavioral correlates of vaping are largely unexplored. The uptake of existing technologies meant for rodent vapor inhalation remains limited because of a lack of affordability and versatility (ability to be used with a variety of vaporizers). The OpenVape (OV) offers an open-source, low-cost solution that can be used in a variety of research contexts. Here, we present a specific use case, combining the OV apparatus with JUUL e-cigarettes. This apparatus consists of Arduino-operated vacuum pumps that deliver vapor directly from e-cigarettes to exposure chambers. The OV is easy to build and customize for any type of vaporizer (e.g., nicotine pod or tank; cannabis flower or concentrates). To test the OV, we performed biochemical verification and behavioral studies. The behavioral test (conditioned place preference, CPP) was conducted using adolescent and adult animals to assess developmental differences in the rewarding effects of nicotine vapor, as previously observed with injected nicotine. These findings demonstrate that even after brief exposures to nicotine vapor, pharmacologically relevant nicotine and cotinine levels could be detected in plasma, and significant CPP was observed, especially in adolescent rats which showed preference at shorter puff delivery durations (lower nicotine doses) compared with adults. Together, these findings suggest that OV provides an affordable, open-source option for preclinical behavioral research into the effects of vaping.