Inhalation of Citrus Reticulata essential oil alleviates airway inflammation and emphysema in COPD rats through regulation of macrophages.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory respiratory disease. Citrus Reticulata peel, the dried ripe peel of Citrus Reticulata species, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and cough attenuation effects. However, the therapeutic effects and its precise underlying mechanisms of atomizing inhalation using Citrus Reticulata essential oil (CREO) have not yet been fully elucidated.
Aim of the Study: The aim of this study was to assess the therapeutic effects of Citrus Reticulata essential oil and its associated anti-inflammatory mechanisms in COPD rat model.
Methods: A total of 80 SD rats were randomized into four groups: control group (Con), COPD model group (COPD), COPD + ipratropium bromide (IB), and COPD + citrus reticulata essential oil (CREO). To induce COPD in rats, cigarette smoke (CS) exposure was used, while CREO and IB groups were administered through atomizing inhalation. The clinical signs, pathological lesions of the lung, percentages of antigen-presenting lung macrophages (CD11b/c ⁺ /CD86 ⁺ cells) and CD8 ⁺ T cells, and the content and mRNA expression of cytokines of the lung were analyzed.
Results: The findings revealed that atomizing inhalation of Citrus reticulata essential oil had therapeutic effects on COPD rats. The treatment resulted in improvement in the body weight and mental status of COPD rats, reduced pathological injury of the lung, and increased proportion of CD11b/c ⁺ /CD86 ⁺ cells in lung macrophages, while also decreasing the number of CD8 ⁺ T cells. In addition, the Citrus Reticulata essential oil reduced the contents of IL-18, IL-17A, IL-12p70, and GM-CSF, downregulated the relative mRNA expression of IFN-γ, IL-4, and MMP-12, and upregulated the mRNA expression of IL-10.
Conclusions: Citrus reticulata essential oil can alleviate histological injury of the lung and regulate macrophages and CD8 ⁺ T cells in COPD rats. The study suggests that citrus reticulata essential oil could be a potential therapeutic agent for COPD.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Xi Peng and Qiaobo Ye: Conceptualization, Supervision, Project administration and Funding acquisition. Qing Deng and Juan Wang: Methodology and Investigation. Zhengqiang Yu, Jiajia Deng, Zhenhua Sun, Zhen Ye and Kaihua Qin:Resources. Changlin Wen and Zhengqiang Yu:Investigation and Formal analysis. Xi Peng, Changlin Wen, Zhengqiang Yu and Qiaobo Ye andWriting - Original Draft and Visualization. All authors contributed to perform the fundamental experiments and approve the final submitted version of the manuscript. All the authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.
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