TNF and Sepsis: Although delayed administration of EGCG did not attenuate circulating TNF levels at 52 h after the onset of sepsis (Fig. 6C, left panel), it did significantly attenuate circulating levels of HMGB1 (Fig. 6C, right panel,P<0.05), suggesting that EGCG confers protection against lethal sepsis partly by attenuating systemic HMGB1 accumulation.