Effects of antipyretic agents on fever and ruminal stasis induced by endotoxins in conscious goats.

Intravenous injection of endotoxin (LPS) from S. typhimurium (3,3 microng per kg body weight) or E. coli O111B4 (0,1 microng per kg body weight) caused fever and stasis of the forestomach contractions in conscious goats. Pretreatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents only had a partial antagonistic influence upon endotoxin induced ruminal stasis. In this respect, acetaminophen was the most potent drug of all agents tested. In dependence of the doses used, the following rank order of potency can be given in relation to the antipyretic activity: sodium flurbiprofen, sodium meclofenamate, acetaminophen, sodium novaminsulphonum and phenylbutazone. In the goat, sodium flurbiprofen (2 mg per kg i.v.) is a very potent and long acting antipyretic agent. It seems unlikely that the inhibition of forestomach motility by endotoxins is simple due to a release of prostaglandins. Since the inhibition also occurred in absence of a febrile response, it is concluded that the inhibition is not primarily due to hyperthermia.