Objective To establish a stable and reliable sepsis model of rat after liver transplantation (LT) for clinical translational research and analyze its characteristics. Methods The "two-sleeve method" was used to establish the in situ LT model of SD rats, and the sepsis model was constructed through cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) at 3 d after the operation. SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: sham operation group (Sham group), LT group, and LT + CLP group, with 6 rats in each group. The changes in body weight, rectal temperature and survival rate were compared, and the sepsis score was used for evaluation. The levels of blood biochemical indicators [alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), urea (Urea), creatinine (Cr), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)] and inflammatory factors [interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α] in each group were detected, and the pathological changes and cell apoptosis in different organs were observed. Results Compared with the Sham group, the body weight of the LT group and LT + CLP group decreased (all P<0.05). The rectal temperature of the LT + CLP group showed a continuous downward trend after the operation, the sepsis score increased sharply after the operation, and the survival rate dropped to 16.7%, and the differences between the Sham group, LT group and LT + CLP group were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The levels of ALT, AST, Urea, Cr, CK, LDH, and serum IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α in the LT + CLP group were higher than those in the Sham group and LT group rats within 72 hours after the operation(all P<0.05). The pathological examination of the LT + CLP group showed severe tissue structure destruction, necrosis and infiltration of inflammatory cells in multiple organs, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining showed an increased level of cell apoptosis in multiple organs. Conclusions Using liver transplantation combined with CLP, a stable animal model of liver transplantation infection is successfully established, which exhibits a high mortality rate, significant multi-organ damage and intense inflammatory response, providing an ideal animal model for transplantation infection research.

Pannexin 1(PANX1)interacts with purinergic receptors through regulating immune responses,relea-sing adenosine triphosphate(ATP),and the NLRP3/caspase-1/interleukin(IL)-1β signaling pathway,then influ-ences the activation of immune cells and promotes the production of reactive oxygen species(ROS),thus causing in-flammation and tissue damage which exacerbates infection.This research group has synthesized new polypeptides named QE20 and EE20,which can specifically inhibit the opening of PANX1 channels under inflammatory stimula-tion,offering advantages such as reducing cellular ATP release,inhibiting inflammatory factor secretion,and pre-venting hepatocyte pyroptosis,et al.This review summarizes the roles and mechanisms of PANX1 in various infec-tious diseases,and predicts the feasibility of PANX1 as a potential therapeutic target in the future.

Pannexin 1(PANX1)interacts with purinergic receptors through regulating immune responses,relea-sing adenosine triphosphate(ATP),and the NLRP3/caspase-1/interleukin(IL)-1β signaling pathway,then influ-ences the activation of immune cells and promotes the production of reactive oxygen species(ROS),thus causing in-flammation and tissue damage which exacerbates infection.This research group has synthesized new polypeptides named QE20 and EE20,which can specifically inhibit the opening of PANX1 channels under inflammatory stimula-tion,offering advantages such as reducing cellular ATP release,inhibiting inflammatory factor secretion,and pre-venting hepatocyte pyroptosis,et al.This review summarizes the roles and mechanisms of PANX1 in various infec-tious diseases,and predicts the feasibility of PANX1 as a potential therapeutic target in the future.

Objective To investigate the association between donor complement factor component 7 (C7) rs6876739 gene polymorphisms and risk of early bacterial infection following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).Methods A total of 113 patients who had undergone OLT in Shanghai General Hospital between July 2007 and January 2011 were included.A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP),donor C7 rs6876739 was genotyped and analyzed together with clinical data.Results We demortstrated that donor C7 rs6876739 CC genotype had higher risk of early bacterial infection than TT genotype following OLT (55.6％ vs.26.5％,P =0.021).The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that gender (P =0.018),biliary complications (P =0.018),ICU stay after LT (P＜0.001) and donor C7 rs6876739 genotype (P =0.001) were identified as independent factors of early bacterial infection.Conclusion Donor C7 rs6876739 genotype polymorphism is associated with early bacterial infection following OLT and may be a new marker of risk for the development of potentially serious bacterial infection after liver transplantation.