Galectin-3 Aggravates Experimental Polymicrobial Sepsis by Impairing Neutrophil Recruitment to the Infectious Focus

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1. Serum Gal-3 concentration increased in patients with septic shock and mice undergoing sepsis induced by a procedure called cecal ligation and puncture (CLP).
2. Mice genetically deficient in Gal-3 (Gal-3 KO) were more resistant to sepsis caused by CLP than wild-type mice (WT).
3. Gal-3 KO mice show an increased number of neutrophils in the initial stage of infection and reduced bacterial loads in the peritoneal cavity and blood.
4. Blood neutrophils from septic mice show higher levels of surface-bound Gal-3 than neutrophils from control mice.
5. Results indicate that Gal-3, secreted during sepsis, inhibits neutrophil migration into the infectious site, promoting the bacterial spread.