Observations on the site and mode of action of pyrogens in the rabbit brain
- 1 July 1967
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in The Journal of Physiology
- Vol. 191 (2), 325-337
- https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.1967.sp008253
Abstract
Leucocyte pyrogen was injected bilaterally into various parts of the rabbit brain. It caused fever when injected into the pre-optic area and the anterior hypothalamus, but not when injected into the posterior hypothalamus, the mid-brain, the pons, the cerebellum or the cerebral cortex. The mean time which elapsed between a leucocyte pyrogen injection into the anterior hypothalamus and the onset of fever was 7.8 min. For similar injections of bacterial pyrogen the time lag was 24.8 min. The mean time lag between bilateral injections of noradrenaline into the anterior hypothalamus and the onset of fever was 7.4 min. The amount of leucocyte pyrogen required to cause fever when injected into the anterior hypothalamus was less than 1/100 of that required to cause a similar fever on intravenous injection. The quantity of bacterial pyrogen injected into the hypothalamus was of the same order as that which would cause a similar fever on intravenous injection. Control injections of saline, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, heated leucocyte pyrogen and red cells into the anterior hypothalamus did not cause fever. After attempts to deplete the hypothalamus of its monoamine stores by intraventricular injections of reserpine, the rabbit had fever as a result of an intravenous injection of bacterial pyrogen. The anterior hypothalamus and the pre-optic area are sites at which leucocyte pyrogen acts to cause fever in the rabbit. The mechanism of this febrile response is not clear, but it appears that part, at least, of the response could be mediated by a mechanism other than release of noradrenaline or failure to release 5-HT [5-hydroxytryptamine].This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit:
- The mechanism of body temperature changes induced by intraventricular injections of adrenaline, noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine in the ox (bos taurus)The Journal of Physiology, 1967
- STUDIES ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF FEVERThe Journal of Experimental Medicine, 1966
- Serotonine and Temperature ControlActa Physiologica Scandinavica, 1966
- Effects of intraventricular and intrahypothalamic injection of noradrenaline and 5‐HT on body temperature in conscious rabbits.The Journal of Physiology, 1965
- Fever produced by microinjection of typhoid vaccine into hypothalamus of catsAmerican Journal of Physiology-Legacy Content, 1965
- Changes in temperature produced by micro‐injections of amines into the anterior hypothalamus of catsThe Journal of Physiology, 1965
- Temperature‐sensitive neurones in the dog's hypothalamusThe Journal of Physiology, 1964
- Pathogenesis of FeverPhysiological Reviews, 1960
- STUDIES ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF FEVERThe Journal of Experimental Medicine, 1958
- STUDIES ON THE PATHOGENESIS OF FEVERThe Journal of Experimental Medicine, 1953