IL6 and infectious otitis media: To confirm these findings, ELISA assays were conducted to detect the expression of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in mice serum, and the result showed that the increased inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α in the serum of AOM/DSS treated mice were decreased after α-hederin treatment, but the decreased anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in the serum of AOM/DSS treated mice was increased after α-hederin treatment (Fig. 3B).