TNF and Sepsis: In Konstantin’s study, nicotine was found to exert anti-inflammatory effects through the α7nAChR/Ca2+ influx/PKC/ROS/PI3K/PKB/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related Factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway by inducing macrophages to produce heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), thereby decreasing the release of HMGB1, TNF-α, and iNOS, which ultimately increases survival in mice with sepsis.