Inhalation of patchouli essential oil alleviates airway inflammation in cigarette smoke-induced COPD mice

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide, characterized by persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitations resulting from small airway injury, bronchial wall thickening, and hypersecretion of mucus. Current pharmacological interventions are ineffective in reversing these airflow limitations; In our study, we investigated the potential role of patchouli essential oil (PEO) in the treatment of COPD and its underlying molecular mechanisms, both in vitro and in vivo. To establish a cigarette smoke-induced COPD mice model, we exposed the mice to cigarette smoke (CS) and administered nasal drip of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). During the modeling process, the mice were nebulized daily with PEO; Treatment with PEO significantly ameliorated the inflammatory response in CS-induced COPD mice, leading to improved lung function. Histopathological examination revealed that PEO treatment improved lung tissue changes, as observed through staining. Furthermore, PEO treatment reduced the levels of inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α, and reversed the CS-induced elevation of mRNA levels of these factors. Additionally, PEO treatment significantly countered cigarette smoke-induced COPD via the NF-κB signaling pathway in mice; Our result has shown that inhalation of PEO can substantially alleviate the increase in inflammatory factors, mitigate lung function impairment, and reduce airway remodeling in cigarette smoke-induced COPD mice.