A QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF THE REDUCTION OF GASTRIC ACID SECRETION ASSOCIATED WITH PYREXIA

Abstract

Pyrexia was produced by intraven. injn. of pyrexin or of bacterial pyrogen and its effect on the rate of gastric secretion induced pouch dogs by injection of histamine every 10 min. was observed. For both pyrogenic materials, the relationship between the logarithm of the dose of pyrogen and the degree of pyrexia was linear over most of the range studied. The relationship between the logarithm of the dose of pyrogen and the degree of gastric secretory inhibition was also linear over most of the range studied. In no individual test did gastric secretory inhibition occur without pyrexia. There was a lag of about 1 hr. between onset of pyrexia and the onset of inhibition; there was a similar lag between the subsidence of pyrexia and the return of secretion to control levels. In this respect the inhibition produced by pyrogen differs from that produced by urogastrone and enterogas-trone concentrates. Because of these lags, early in the course of a test, pyrexia often occurred without secretory inhibition, whereas late in the test secretory inhibition without pyrexia often was seen. Pyrexia is, therefore, considered not to be directly responsible for the inhibition of secretory activity.