Pro-inflammatory cytokines are increased during menopause with ensuing pathologies including osteoporosis and atherosclerosis (63) . Red clover (Trifolium pratense) isoflavone extracts are widely used for relieving postmenopausal symptoms in women. Biochanin A is the major isoflavone present in red clover, and activates both PPAR alpha and gamma receptors in vitro (64) . Gemfibrozil, the synthetic PPAR alpha ligand that increases survival of mice during severe murine influenza (17) , possesses anti-inflammatory side effects including inhibition of NF-kB activity; this transcription factor is essential for the transcription of pro-inflammatory genes (21) . Similarly, biochanin A has been recently shown to decrease production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine eCAM 2010;7(4) TNF, as well as its downstream mediators nitric oxide and superoxide (65) . The fact that biochanin A activates both PPAR alpha and gamma would be an advantage in treating severe influenza, as the PPAR gamma agonist pioglitazone was recently shown to reduce the mortality associated with PR8 influenza in mice (66) . It is possible that combining PPAR alpha and gamma activation in one treatment, using biochanin A, may prove more effective in curbing influenza-related mortality than activation of either PPAR receptor alone.