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Fever and trace metal changes in endotoxin-challenged neonates
Pflugers Archiv : European Journal of Physiology
|January 1, 1981
Summary
Neonatal guinea pigs can alter trace metal levels during infection from birth, even without fever. This suggests fever and trace metal changes are separate immune responses in early life.
Area of Science:
- Infectious disease
- Neonatal immunology
- Trace metal metabolism
Background:
- Infections typically cause decreased plasma iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), with increased body temperature and plasma copper (Cu).
- Neonates often lack fever during early infections, despite these typical changes in trace metals.
- The interplay between fever response and trace metal alterations in neonates during infection is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the development of fever and trace metal level alterations in neonatal guinea pigs during infection.
- To determine if the ability to alter trace metal levels is present from birth, independent of fever response.
Main Methods:
- Neonatal guinea pigs were infected with Salmonella enteritidis endotoxin.
- Body temperature and plasma levels of Fe, Zn, and Cu were measured over the first postnatal week.
- Endotoxin dosage was 2 micrograms/kg.
Main Results:
- Fever could not be induced by endotoxin until 8 days of age.
- Plasma Fe and Zn levels were significantly lowered from birth.
- Plasma Cu levels showed a tendency to increase from 2 days postnatally.
Conclusions:
- Neonatal guinea pigs possess the ability to alter plasma trace metal levels from birth.
- This trace metal alteration capacity is independent of the endotoxin-induced fever response.
- Fever and trace metal level changes are not necessarily coupled for host defense in early-life infections.