Free-feeding patterns of rats: effects of pyrogen and dietary protein content

Infusion of bacterial pyrogen (Priomen) was accompanied by an increase in body temperature, an increase in heat production, and a decrease in the voluntary food intake ofrats fed high-as well as low-protein diets. The magnitude of this pyrogen-induced depression of food intake was comparable for both diets. However, in rats fed high-protein diets, this decrease was additive to that normally seen following administration of such diets. These data indicate that the control of food intake cannot be explained in terms of a behavioral the more regulatory response.