Effects of flurbiprofen on recombinant human IL-1 alpha-induced fever and associated clinical, haematological and blood biochemical changes in the dwarf goat.

Flurbiprofen, a potent NSAID, was given as an intravenous infusion (1 mg/kg) to dwarf goats. After drug administration, no significant changes were observed in heart rate and rumen motility, whereas rectal temperature increased slightly; mean plasma glucose and creatinine concentrations gradually increased during the observation period. Plasma iron concentration and the number of circulating lymphocytes were significantly lower after flurbiprofen infusion. Intravenous injection of recombinant human interleukin-1 alpha (r. HuIL-1 alpha: 0.5 microgram/kg) caused shivering, fever, inhibition of rumen contractions, tachycardia, hypoferraemia, hypozincaemia, hyperglycaemia followed by hypoglycaemia, changes in plasma urea and creatinine values, lymphopaenia and neutropaenia followed by neutrophilic leukocytosis. Pretreatment with flurbiprofen partly antagonized the febrile reactions to r.HuIL-1 alpha. The r.HuIL-1 alpha-induced tachycardia and inhibition of rumen contractions were only delayed. The drug prevented the initial hyperglycaemia but did not abolish the secondary hypoglycaemia. Furthermore, flurbiprofen delayed the decline in plasma zinc and iron concentrations, whereas plasma creatinine values were significantly lower. Finally, after drug pretreatment the changes in circulating neutrophils were more pronounced. These data demonstrate that most of the haematological, blood biochemical, and clinical effects of r.HuIL-1 alpha cannot be blocked by flurbiprofen, suggesting that an increased synthesis of prostaglandins is not involved in these r.HuIL-1 alpha-induced effects.