Erythropoietin-mediated IL-17 F attenuates sepsis-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis and barrier dysfunction

Septic gut damage is critical in the progression of sepsis and multiple organ failure, characterized by gut microbiota dysbiosis and epithelium deficiency in the gut barrier. Recent studies highlight the protective effects of Erythropoietin (EPO) on multiple organs. The present study found that EPO treatment significantly alleviated the survival rate, suppressed inflammatory responses, and ameliorated intestine damage in mice with sepsis. EPO treatment also reversed sepsis-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis. The protective role of EPO in the gut barrier and microbiota was impaired after EPOR knockout. Notably, we innovatively demonstrated that IL-17 F screened by transcriptome sequencing could ameliorate sepsis and septic gut damage including gut microbiota dysbiosis and barrier dysfunction, which was verified by IL-17 F-treated fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as well. Our findings highlight the protection effects of EPO-mediated IL-17 F in sepsis-induced gut damage by alleviating gut barrier dysfunction and restoring gut microbiota dysbiosis. EPO and IL-17 F may be potential therapeutic targets in septic patients.