TNF and heart failure: Although some of the changes observed in IFN-γ and TNF-α-treated AC-16 cardiomyocytes closely parallel those observed in CCC heart tissue, this convergence is not proof that the findings in tissue are induced by the same cytokines, since several other mechanisms can induce nitro-oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage in CCC myocardium and as a consequence of heart failure.