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Cyclo‐oxygenase mediation of endotoxin‐induced fever, anterior and posterior pituitary hormone release, and hypothalamic c‐Fos expression in the prepubertal pig
Author(s) -
Parrott RF,
Vellucci SV,
Goode JA,
Lloyd DM,
Forsling ML
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
experimental physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.925
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1469-445X
pISSN - 0958-0670
DOI - 10.1113/expphysiol.1995.sp003876
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrinology , vasopressin , hypothalamus , prolactin , thermoregulation , anterior pituitary , posterior pituitary , lipopolysaccharide , oxytocin , c fos , chemistry , oxygenase , hyperthermia , hormone , biology , pituitary gland , gene expression , enzyme , biochemistry , gene
Prepubertal pigs (n = 8) treated with bacterial endotoxin (20 micrograms lipopolysaccharide; LPS) exhibited a sustained (4 h) hyperthermia, increased plasma concentrations of cortisol, prolactin, growth hormone and vasopressin, but no change in adrenaline or noradrenaline levels was observed. All these effects were prevented or attenuated when the animals were pretreated intravenously with the cyclo‐oxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (IND; 2 mg/kg). Similarly, in pigs (n = 3 per treatment) given IND, LPS or IND + LPS, parallel changes in the neuronal expression of c‐Fos were observed in hypothalamic regions concerned with thermoregulation, neurohypophysial secretion, and the control of pituitary‐adrenocortical function. The stimulatory action of LPS in the median preoptic, supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei was prevented by IND, whereas IND given alone was without effect. These findings suggest that inducible cyclo‐oxygenase pathways are responsible for the febrile and neuroendocrine effects of endotoxin in this species.