TNF and Sepsis: Systemic inflammation induced by sepsis is mediated by the excessive release of proinflammatory cytokines – such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) – which increases the permeability of the BBB, thereby facilitating inflammatory factors to enter the brain and trigger an inflammatory response in the CNS.