p-Cymene Protects Mice Against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury by Inhibiting Inflammatory Cell Activation

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that p-cymene can attenuate acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vivo. In the mouse model of LPS-induced acute lung injury, intraperitoneal preconditioning with p-cymene resulted in a significant reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta and IL-6), lung water gain, inflammatory cell infiltration, lung tissue myeloperoxidase activity. In addition, p-cymene blocked the phosphorylation of I kappa B alpha protein and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathway activation. Histopathologic examination of lung tissue indicated that p-cymene treatment markedly decreased focal thickening, congestion, pulmonary edema, and inflammatory cells infiltration. The results showed that p-cymene had a protective effect on LPS-induced ALI in mice.