In a model of fulminant E. coli peritonitis, where all deaths occurred within 3 days, bacterial loads in blood collected 18 hours post-infection (median: 4.7 × 106 CFU/ml vs 5.2 × 106 CFU/ml; P = 0.4) and survival (27% vs 27%) were identical in SIRT3+/+ and SIRT3−/− mice (Fig. 3D and E). This evidence concerns the gene SIRT3 and infection.