Role of the brain heme oxygenase-carbon monoxide pathway in stress fever in rats.

This study was aimed at testing the hypothesis that the brain heme oxygenase (HO)-carbon monoxide (CO) pathway plays a role in stress fever. To this end, the effect of the HO inhibitor, zinc deuteroporphyrin 2,4-bis glycol (ZnDPBG), on restraint-induced fever was tested. Intracerebroventricular ZnDPBG (200 nmol) did not affect the body core temperature of unrestrained rats, but markedly attenuated restraint-induced fever. However, at the same dose, intraperitoneal ZnDPBG did not affect the febrile response to restraint. Taken together, these results indicate that the brain HO-CO pathway plays a major role in the genesis of stress fever in rats.