title: A study of the anti-pyretic effect of quinine, an alkaloid effective against cerebral malaria, on fever induced by bacterial endotoxin and yeast in rats.
abstract: The effect of quinine on fever induced by lipopolysaccharide and brewer's yeast has been investigated in rats. Oral administration of 50 or 100 mg kg(-1) quinine, doses which had no effect on normothermic rats, significantly reduced lipopolysaccharide- (50 microg kg(-1), i.m.) and yeast- (2 g kg(-1)) induced fever in rats. Pentoxifylline (100 mg kg(-1)), a tumour necrosis factor antagonist also attenuated the febrile response induced by lipopolysaccharide, but not that by yeast, in a manner similar to quinine. Piroxicam (5 mg kg(-1)), a cyclooxygenase inhibitor suppressed both types of fever with a longer duration of action. In addition to its anti-pyretic effect, quinine had a significant anti-inflammatory effect in the carrageenan model of acute inflammation in the hind-paw of rats. The results indicate the anti-inflammatory and anti-pyretic potential of quinine which might be important in addition to its anti-plasmodial action in the therapy of cerebral malaria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D002351:Carrageenan; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D005334:Fever / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D010894:Piroxicam / Q000494:pharmacology; D011803:Quinine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D010894:Piroxicam; D002351:Carrageenan; D011803:Quinine