Tissue tumor necrosis factor mRNA expression following cecal ligation and puncture or intraperitoneal injection of endotoxin.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) has been implicated as a key mediator of the septic response. Although very high serum levels of TNF are detected in animal models of endotoxemia or gram-negative bacteremia, human patients with sepsis rarely have greatly elevated TNF serum levels. It has therefore been postulated that TNF may act in a paracrine fashion to cause local injury. In order to examine the role of locally produced TNF in sepsis, we compared serum TNF levels and TNF messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in various tissues following cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or intraperitoneal injection of a sublethal dose of endotoxin. TNF mRNA expression was determined by the reverse transcription differential polymerase chain reaction using beta-actin as an internal standard. Serum levels of TNF were threefold higher after endotoxin administration compared to CLP. TNF mRNA in peritoneal macrophages rose fourfold after both endotoxin injection and CLP, with rapid return to normal in endotoxin-treated animals. There was a significant increase in TNF mRNA in the liver and lung, but not the spleen, during the first 24 hr after CLP. An increase in TNF mRNA was seen in all three tissues after injection of endotoxin. These results support the concept of locally produced TNF as a contributing factor in tissue damage and multiple organ failure during sepsis.