1,8-Cineol is a major monoterpene principally from eucalyptus essential oils and has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and inhibitory of nuclear factor (NF)-kB effect. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of 1,8-cineol on mice infected with influenza A virus. We found that 1,8-cineol protects against influenza viral infection in mice. Moreover, 1,8-cineol efficiently decreased the level of IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, and MCP-1 in nasal lavage fluids and the level of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ in lung tissues of mice infected with influenza virus. The results also showed that 1,8-cineol reduced the expression of NF-kB p65, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 in lung tissues. Thus, 1,8-cineol appears to be able to augment protection against IFV infection in mice via attenuation of pulmonary inflammatory responses.
Keywords: 1,8-cineol; inflammatory cytokines; influenza A virus; viral pneumonia.