Do sodium nitroprusside and L-NAME affect pyrogen fever in rabbits?

Thermoregulatory responses after treatment with nitric oxide (NO) donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP-3 mg/kg/h), or NO synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME-100 mg/kg) were investigated in febrile rabbits (lipopolysaccharide E. coli-1 meg/kg). Pretreatment with SNP attenuated pyrogen fever as well as metabolic rate. L-NAME also inhibited postpyrogen increases in metabolism; however, this effect did not lead to antipyresis.