ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of interleukin (IL)-26 on the late phase of lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced lung inflammation in mouse model.MethodsThirty-two mice were equally and randomly divided into four groups: blank control group, IL-26 control group, LPS model group, and IL-26 intervention group. The blank control group was given intranasal administration of phosphate buffered solution (PBS, 40 μl) and PBS (40 μl) 10 minutes apart. The IL-26 control group was given recombinant human interleukin-26 (rhIL-26; 50 μg/kg, dissolved in 40 μg PBS) and PBS successively. The LPS model group was given intranasal administration of PBS (40 μl) and LPS (10 mg/kg, dissolved in 40 μl PBS) at 10 minutes interval. The IL-26 intervention group was given intranasal administration of rhIL-26 and LPS at 10 minutes interval. Seventy-two hours later after treatment, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cell count, cytokine assay and pathological staining of lung tissue were performed in each group. The gene expression of inflammatory pathway in lung tissue was detected by RT-PCR. One-way ANOVA was used for comparison between groups. ResultsCompared with the blank control group, the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α and activating transcription factor 3 in IL-26 control group increased significantly (all P < 0.05). The number of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, total BALF cells, lymphocytes and neutrophils, and the content of macrophage inflammatory protein-1a in BALF were significantly increased in IL-26 intervention group comparing with LPS model group (all P < 0.05). IL-26 intervention group had more inflammatory subsidence in interstitial, perivascular, peribronchial and mean values than LPS model group (all P < 0.05). The expressions of Toll-like receptor 4, Toll-like receptor 2 and interferon γ induced protein 10 in IL-26 intervention group were significantly higher than those in LPS model group (all P < 0.05).ConclusionIL-26 can significantly alleviate the late inflammatory reaction of lung tissue in LPS-induced mouse inflammation model.