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Behavioral fever in newborn rabbitsNew Zealand white rabbit pups aged 12 to 72 hr were divided into three groups and given an intraperitoneal injection of Pseudomonas polysaccharide, a saline vehicle alone, and no treatment, respectively. The animals injected with pyrogen and maintained at an ambient temperature of 32 C for 2 hr did not develop fever. When placed in a thermally graded alleyway, the animals injected with pyrogen selected gradient positions that represented significantly higher temperatures than controls injected with saline. Further stay at selected positions for 5 min caused a considerable increase in the rectal temperature of the pyrogen-injected pups but not that of controls. The results support the hypothesis that newborn rabbits will develop a fever by behavioral means after a single injection of an exogenous pyrogen if the opportunity for thermoregulatory behavior is present. No fever develops if the pups must rely solely on internal thermoregulatory mechanisms. The behavioral system for producing a fever is mature at birth, but an adequate system of internal reflexes does not appear to develop for some days.
Document ID
19760060800
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Satinoff, E.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Mcewen, G. N., Jr.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Williams, B. A.
(NASA Ames Research Center Environmental Control Research Branch, Moffett Field, Calif., United States)
Date Acquired
August 8, 2013
Publication Date
September 17, 1976
Publication Information
Publication: Science
Volume: 193
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Accession Number
76A43766
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: PHS-NS-12033
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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