Evidence of substance P autocrine circuitry that involves TNF-α, IL-6, and PGE2 in endogenous pyrogen-induced fever

•The role of substance P (SP) in endogenous pyrogen-induced fever was investigated.•Substance P participates in fever that is induced by tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin-6.•Substance P and prostaglandins participate of an autocrine circuitry to induce fever.•Substance P is released after endotelin-1, endogenous opioid, and corticotropin-releasing factor release.•Endotoxins and prostaglandins activate NK1 receptors in the hypothalamus.

Substance P (SP) is involved in fever that is induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) but not by interleukin-1β or macrophage inflammatory protein-1α. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of the neurokinin-1 (NK1) receptor antagonist SR140333B in rats reduced fever that was induced by an i.c.v. injection of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), endothelin-1 (ET-1), and morphine (MOR). Furthermore, an i.c.v. injection of SP induced a febrile response that was inhibited by indomethacin concomitant with an increase in PGE2 levels in cerebrospinal fluid. Lipopolysaccharide and PGE2 caused higher expression and internalization of NK1 receptors in the hypothalamus which were prevented by SR140333B. These data suggest that SP is an important mediator of fever, in which it induces a prostaglandin-dependent response and is released after TNF-α, IL-6, PGE2, CRF, endogenous opioids, and ET-1.

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