TNF and infection: Tnf-R1−/− mice were also significantly protected from polymicrobial infection-induced tissue damage of liver and colon (Fig. 5g, h), suggesting that polymicrobial infection induces tissue damage of liver and colon in a TNFα signaling-dependent manner, consistent with previous reports.28 Similar results were obtained in LPS-treated Bad−/− mouse liver and colon (Supplementary information, Figure S6b-S6d).