Rabbit Interleukin-1 Alpha (IL-1α) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine belonging to the IL-1 family—which includes IL-1α, IL-1β, and the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra)—and plays a central role in initiating innate and sterile inflammatory responses in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). IL-1α is constitutively expressed in epithelial and endothelial tissues and functions as an intracellular alarmin that is rapidly released upon cell injury, necrosis, or viral infection, triggering early inflammatory signaling independent of inflammasome processing. Upon binding to the IL-1 receptor type 1 (IL-1R1), rabbit IL-1α activates NF-κB and MAPK pathways that promote leukocyte recruitment, endothelial activation, fever, and amplification of downstream pro-inflammatory cytokine cascades. In rabbit health, IL-1α is particularly relevant in inflammatory conditions such as respiratory infections (e.g., Pasteurella multocida), viral diseases including rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) and myxoma virus, enteritis, and joint inflammation, where epithelial damage leads to rapid IL-1α–mediated immune activation. While essential for host defense and tissue repair, excessive IL-1α signaling may contribute to systemic inflammation and tissue pathology. As an early mediator of sterile and infectious inflammation, rabbit IL-1α serves as a biomarker of tissue injury and innate immune activation. In translational research, rabbits are widely used as models for atherosclerosis, osteoarthritis, ocular inflammation, and infectious disease, and characterization of IL-1α supports studies of cytokine-driven inflammation and development of targeted IL-1–modulating therapies relevant to human inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.