Abstract

This study aims to investigate the role of macrophage PELI1 in sepsis-induced inflammation and coagulation dysfunction, focusing on its regulatory mechanism over the secretome through the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. Analysis of a public single-cell RNA-seq dataset from septic patients reveals significant upregulation of PELI1 in CD14 + monocytes from non-survivors. To functionally validate this finding, a murine sepsis model is established using cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Protein and gene expression levels in lung tissue and plasma are detected by RT-qPCR, western blotting, and ELISA, while lung injury and fibrin deposition are assessed by H&E staining and immunohistochemistry. For in vitro experiments, PELI1 expression is modulated in RAW264.7 macrophages using gene knockdown strategies. Our results confirm that PELI1 is significantly upregulated in septic mice and closely associates with severe inflammatory responses and coagulation dysfunction. Mechanistically, PELI1 knockout suppresses the activation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, thereby reducing the production and secretion of key inflammatory cytokines and coagulation factors induced by lipopolysaccharide. Importantly, transfer of the secretome from bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) of PELI1 -knockout mice into wild-type septic mice is sufficient to alleviate sepsis pathology, which recapitulates the protective effect observed in genetic knockout. Our findings demonstrate that PELI1 mediates sepsis-induced tissue injury by regulating the secretome via the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, which identifies the PELI1-secretome axis as a potential therapeutic target for this life-threatening condition.