Bacterial endotoxin and infection cause behavioural hypothermia in infant mice

1987; Elsevier BV; Volume: 88; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0300-9629(87)90074-0

ISSN

0300-9629

Autores

K.Y.H. Lagerspetz, T Väätäinen,

Tópico(s)

Immune Response and Inflammation

Resumo

1. When placed in a temperature gradient, 3–10 day old mice injected with living Escherichia coli or with E. coli endotoxin, select 2–3°C lower temperatures than their litter-mate controls injected with saline. 2. At the lower selected temperature (32°C) young mouse pups resist bacterial infection for longer and tolerate higher doses of endotoxin than at the temperature selected by the controls (35°C). 3. It is possible that a controlled hypothermic state, here called cryexia, is in small mammals an alternative strategy to fever for coping with infections.

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