Background: Inflammation, characterized by redness, swelling, pain and a sensation of heat, is one of the body's self-defense systems. Although the inflammation response has an important role in host survival, it also leads to chronic inflammatory diseases. Linalool is a natural compound of the essential oils in several aromatic plants species. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and other bioactive properties. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of linalool on inflammation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and an LPS-induced in vivo lung injury model.
Methods: We evaluated the effects of linalool on LPS-induced production of inflammatory mediators in Raw 264.7 murine macrophages by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot. To confirm the anti-inflammatory activity of linalool in vivo, we induced an acute lung injury in an LPS-induced mouse model.
Results: Linalool attenuated the production of LPS-induced tumor necrosis-α and interleukin-6 both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, phosphorylation of IκBα protein, p38, c-Jun terminal kinase, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells was blocked by linalool. Our in vivo study also found that linalool attenuated lung histopathologic changes in mouse models.
Conclusions: The results suggest that linalool inhibits inflammation both in vitro and in vivo, and may be a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
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