Pyrogenic fever and blood plasma glucocorticoids after nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs.

Rabbits were injected with the lipopolysaccharide from E. coli (LPS) and received orally nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): acetylsalicylic acid, indomethacin, mefenamic acid, ibuprofen, aminophenazone, metamizole sodium, and phenylbutazone. These NSAIDs exerted antipyretic action without inhibiting the increase in the level of plasma glucocorticoids induced by LPS. This finding indicates the lack of correlation between the pyrogenic action of bacterial pyrogen and pyrogenic increase in the plasma glucocorticoid level. The investigated NSAIDs when given alone to normothermic rabbits differently affected the plasma glucocorticoid level: acetylsalicylic acid, indomethacin and ibuprofen depressed the plasma level of these hormones, mefenamic acid and phenylbutazone elevated it, and aminophenazone and metamizole sodium did not alter it significantly.