CORT and infection: Among these, decreased expression of cortistatin mRNA in the brains of SAE mice compared to sham mice in the acute phase of sepsis was identified (three days after peritoneal contamination and infection [PCI]; fold change = 0.482, t = 11.92, P = 2.33 × 10−7, adjusted P = 1.67 × 10−4) (Figure 1(b)).