ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of sepsis on the expression of apoptotic protease caspase-3 in hippocampus neurons of rats. MethodsModels of rats with sepsis were established by the cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) method. Eighty 30-day-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into CLP group (n=50) and control group (n=30). In the CLP group, only CLP was performed on the rats. Ten rats in the CLP group and another 10 in the control group were taken at 6, 12, and 24 hours after operation, respectively. Five of them in each group were taken for neurobehavioral score, and the other five were killed and their brains were removed. Then the Western blot and immunohistochemistry staining were used to detect the expression changes of apoptosis protein caspase-3. ResultsIn the control group, there were very low expression of apoptotic protease caspase-3 and high scores of neurological behavior. In the CLP group, the expression of apoptotic protease caspase-3 started to increase at the 6th hour, and reached the peak at the 24th hour after CLP, both of which were significantly higher than the control group (P<0.05). The scores of neurological behavior of the CLP group began to decline at 6h after CLP, and decreased gradually along with the time, and the scores were significantly lower at various time points after CLP in the CLP group than those in the control group (P<0.05). ConclusionThe scores of neurological behavior decrease and the expression of apoptosis protease caspase-3 increase in the rat hippocampus with sepsis, and fluctuate with time change.