TNF and Sepsis: Plasma TNF-α was significantly increased in the control group at 8 hours of sepsis (from 0.1 (0.05; 0.18) to 0.41(0.22; 0.74) ng/mL (P <0.01), followed by a fall towards baseline levels by 24 hours of sepsis, and there was no significant difference between the control and atenolol groups over time (Figure 4).