MTOR and Sepsis: Some studies suggest that blocking this pathway alleviates sepsis-related damage,25,26 whereas others indicate that activating this pathway reduces liver injury.27 Interestingly, the Chinese medicine Xuebijing has shown a dual effect of activating and inhibiting this pathway at different stages of sepsis.28 In the current study, pre-treatment with 3-HB enhanced the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) mice, although the specific mechanisms require further investigation.