In vivo experiments with IL-1β and TNF-α antagonists. Rats were injected with either saline (vehicle), LPS (10 mg/kg, i.v.), LPS plus IL-1ra (IL-1ra 100 mg/kg, s.c., at time 0 and then every 6 h), LPS plus rsTNF-RI (rsTNF-RI, 1.5 mg/kg, i.v., at time 0), or LPS plus IL-1ra plus sTNF-RI. Total RNA was extracted from the liver 6 h later and Northern blot analysis was performed for CD14 mRNA. The levels of CD14 mRNA were normalized to 18S rRNA and presented as the fold increase over the control. Each column represents the mean ± the SE of four animals in each group (∗, P < 0.05 versus the control; #, P < 0.05 versus the LPS group).