PANX1 and Sepsis: Given the absence of Cx43-and Cx45-based hemichannels, the increase in P2X7R and Panx1 expression may represent a systemic response to sepsis, as both proteins are known to be upregulated during inflammatory conditions (Cea et al., 2019) and contribute to immune cell recruitment and inflammasome activation (Loureiro et al., 2022; Chen et al., 2023).