Absence of endotoxin-fever but not hyperthermia in Brattleboro rats.

I.c.v. administration of bacterial endotoxin produced a fever in the Long-Evans rat but not in the Brattleboro rat. Similar administration of arachidonic acid, prostaglandin E2, prostacyclin, dibutyryl cAMP, norepinephrine, morphine and beta-endorphin caused hyperthermia in both Long-Evans and Brattleboro rats. Variable doses of exogenous arginine vasopressin (AVP) when centrally administered with endotoxin caused fever in the Brattleboro rat. It is suggested that AVP may play an important role in the production and release of endogenous pyrogen.