1. lifelines
  2. What does nitric oxide have to do with a fever?

What does nitric oxide have to do with a fever?

By dr. dolittle on May 24, 2016.
File:Chick on sand.jpg Chick image By Markus Koljonen (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons

New research published in the American Journal of Physiology Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology shows that bacterial infections increase the production of nitric oxide in chicks, which is similar to what happens in rodents. The increase in nitric oxide is thought to be related to the development of fever. In fact, when nitric oxide production was blocked, thermogenesis was inhibited and infected chicks began to huddle more to increase body temperature.

Source:

Dantonio V, Batalhão ME, Fernandes MHMR, Komegae EN, Buqui GA, Lopes NP, Gargaglioni LH, Carnio EC, Steiner AA, Bícego KC. Nitric oxide and fever: immune-to-brain signaling vs. thermogenesis in chicks. American Journal of Physiology Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology310: R896–R905, 2016.

 

Tags
Life Science
bacteria
chick
fever
nitric oxide

More like this

Study reveals how 'world's toughest bacterium' survives lethal radiation

Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as "the world's toughest bacterium," Deinococcus radiodurans can withstand extreme temperatures and drought conditions, lack of nutrients and a thousand times more radiation than a human being.

The Poisoning of William Blake (part 2)

A couple days ago, I wrote a post (Tyger, Tyger, Copper, Copper) about the theory that the late, great British poet William Blake (1757-1827) and been killed by copper poisoning due to years of acid-etching copper plates as a print maker.

My picks from ScienceDaily

Gas On Your Mind: Snail's Brain Provides Insights Into Human Learning :

Along came a spider . . .

Some stories just force themselves on you. I know I'm not special in this regard, since this story was sent by reader and frequent commenter MRK with the note, "Couldn't resist this one. . . ." Maybe the fact we are both males has something to do with it. Mrs. R. would certainly think so.