TNF and Hypertension: Increased circulating levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (PICs) including Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) have been noted in both human hypertension and animal models of hypertension (Dalekos et al., 1996, 1997; Liu et al., 1996).