TLR4 and congestive heart failure: The protein expression of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) was all increased in lung tissue from the rats in the CHF groups, and these increases were markedly reversed in the QL or the Valsartan treatment group rats compared with the CHF group rats (Figure 8).