TNF and atherosclerosis: In the in vivo study, plasma protein levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and MCP-1 were also dramatically decreased in apoE−/− mice fed ISL, and the mRNA levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were decreased in the liver, indicating that ISL achieved its anti-inflammatory activities by inhibiting inflammatory cytokine production, and might possess the ability to attenuate atherosclerosis.