IL6 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Liujunzi decoction has been shown to block the phosphorylation of IκB-α and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), enhance the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and reduce lipid oxidation levels, while simultaneously inhibiting the secretion of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 to protect against lung injury in cigarette smoke-induced COPD mouse models (Zhou et al., 2016).