Interleukin-41 diminishes cigarette smoke-induced lung inflammation in mice

•We found that IL-41 pre-treatment alleviated pulmonary inflammatory infiltration, and lung tissue lesions.•IL-41 pre-treatment also limited CS-induced weight loss, and resulted in lower numbers of macrophages in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lower percentages of neutrophils and monocytes in the blood.•Furthermore, it promoted the polarization of M2 macrophages rather than M1 macrophages, as determined by immunohistochemistry.•Consistent with its effects on M2 polarization, pre-treatment with IL-41 was associated with higher levels of IL-10 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissues of CS-exposed animals and lower production of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), IL-1β and IL-6 in the serum and lung tissues.•These findings suggest that IL-41 could be used therapeutically to treat CS-induced lung inflammatory disorders as it inhibits CS-induced pulmonary inflammation when administered in vivo in mice.