TNF and essential hypertension: This evidence clearly demonstrates that the regulative relationship between Cx43-mediated cellular communication and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines is reciprocal, which may be involved in the pathological mechanisms of hypertensive inflammation. Our previous studies have also demonstrated that pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-2) or essential hypertension promote cellular communication in peripheral blood lymphocytes and the production of IFN-γ and TNF-α [27].