Known as cachectin, the TNF-α is a glycoprotein of 156 amino acids produced from a precursor processed by action of a metalloprotease. Isolated for the first time in 1975 by Carswell, it’s a cytokine of the innate immunity. Interleukin-1 or bacterial endotoxins stimulate the production of TNF-α by immune cells (activated macrophages, NK cells, and monocytes) and non-immune cells (keratinocytes, vascular smooth muscle cells, and granulosa lutein cells). The main function of the TNF-α is to act as an immunomodulator and as a mediator of inflammatory responses in the phenomena of host resistance to infection. It allows neutrophils and macrophages recruitment to infectious sites by stimulating the production of adhesion molecules and chemokines (chemotactic cytokines) by endothelial cells. TNF-α also acts on the hypothalamus to trigger the fever. Over-production of TNF-α has been implicated in a number of pathological conditions including cachexia, septic shock, and autoimmune disorders. [Bertin Catalog No. A05411]WARNING This product is not for human or veterinary use.
