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Acute Inflammation III: Local and Systemic Effects

Acute Inflammation III: Local and Systemic Effects

Acute inflammation produces a coordinated set of local and systemic changes that limit injury, eliminate pathogens, and initiate repair. These responses arise within minutes of infection, trauma, or chemical insult and are driven by vascular alterations and leukocyte-derived mediators. When the stimulus resolves, the reaction typically abates within days.Local EffectsAt the site of injury, arteriolar vasodilation increases blood flow, resulting in redness and warmth. Simultaneously, increased...

Increased Body Temperature

Increased Body Temperature

A body temperature above 38°C (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in response to an infection or illness.

Thermoregulation

Thermoregulation

The human body has a sophisticated thermoregulation system that employs negative feedback mechanisms to maintain an optimal core temperature. When the core temperature drops, peripheral and central thermoreceptors send signals to the hypothalamus, activating the heat-promoting center. This center triggers several responses aimed at increasing the core temperature. First, vasoconstriction reduces the flow of warm blood from internal organs to the skin so that the heat is not lost from the skin,...

Inflammatory Response

Inflammatory Response

An inflammatory response is a localized, nonspecific immune reaction that occurs when a tissue is injured. It is characterized by redness, swelling, heat, and pain, which are commonly called the cardinal signs and symptoms of inflammation. Inflammation can sometimes result in a loss of function.
Inflammation can be triggered by various stimuli, such as impact, abrasion, chemical irritation, infections, and extreme hot or cold temperatures. These can damage cells and connective tissue fibers,...

Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature

Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature

Hyperthermia occurs when the body's temperature becomes unusually high, often due to heat exposure, intense physical activity, or certain illnesses. This condition can create a dangerous cycle where elevated body temperature increases the metabolic rate, generating more heat and potentially leading to organ failure and brain damage. A severe form of hyperthermia, called heat stroke, can raise body temperature to life-threatening levels. Fever, on the other hand, is a controlled form of...

Thermosensation

Thermosensation

Peripheral thermosensation is the perception of external temperature. A change in temperature (on the surface of the skin and other tissues) is detected by a family of temperature-sensitive ion channels called Transient Receptor Potential, or TRP, receptors. These receptors are located on free nerve endings. Those detecting cold temperatures are closer to the surface of the skin than the nerve endings detecting warmth. These thermoTRP channels, while temperature selective, have relatively...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Analysis of Raw and Processed Cyperi Rhizoma Samples Using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry in Rats with Primary Dysmenorrhea

Analysis of Raw and Processed Cyperi Rhizoma Samples Using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry in Rats with Primary Dysmenorrhea

Published on: December 23, 2022

Eicosanoids in non-febrile thermoregulation.

David M Aronoff¹, Andrej A Romanovsky

¹Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan Health Systems, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0642, USA. daronoff@umich.edu

Progress in Brain Research

|July 25, 2007

Summary

Arachidonic acid (AA)-derived eicosanoids primarily mediate fever, not normal body temperature regulation. While prostaglandin E(2) drives fever, it and other eicosanoids appear uninvolved in maintaining healthy body temperature.

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Prostaglandin Extraction and Analysis in Caenorhabditis elegans

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Prostaglandin Extraction and Analysis in Caenorhabditis elegans

Prostaglandin Extraction and Analysis in Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: June 25, 2013

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Physiology
Immunology

Background:

Eicosanoids, derived from omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids like arachidonic acid (AA), regulate numerous physiological functions.
Their role in thermoregulation is primarily linked to fever responses during illness.
The involvement of eicosanoids in maintaining normal body temperature during health remains largely undetermined.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of AA-derived mediators in non-febrile thermoregulation.
To determine if prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and other lipoxygenase metabolites are involved in maintaining normal body temperature.
To explore the potential thermoregulatory functions of newly discovered eicosanoid signaling pathways.

Main Methods:

Literature review of studies on eicosanoids and thermoregulation.
Analysis of the known functions of prostaglandin E(2), leukotrienes, and other AA metabolites.
Examination of emerging research on endovanilloid and endocannabinoid systems in temperature regulation.

Main Results:

Prostaglandin E(2) is a key mediator of fever but is unlikely to be involved in maintaining normal body temperature.
Most reviewed eicosanoids do not appear to play a significant role in non-febrile thermoregulation.
The endovanilloid system represents a potential, yet understudied, pathway for thermoregulation.

Conclusions:

AA-derived eicosanoids are crucial for fever but not for maintaining normal body temperature.
Current evidence suggests limited involvement of classical eicosanoids in basal thermoregulation.
Further research is necessary to elucidate the role of novel eicosanoid pathways, like the endovanilloid system, in thermoregulation.