Question

18. Describe what role pyrogens, phagocytes, prostaglandins and the hypothalamus play in producing a fever. (E) 

19. Extremely high fevers can be dangerous to a patient, destroying proteins in the body. On the other hand, a fever has a role in healing a patient. Describe what a fever does to enhance the healing process.

Answer 1

Q.18. Describe what role Pyrogens, phagocytes, prostaglandins and hypothalamus play in producing fever?

Answer: Role of Pyrogens: These are the substances which trigger the fever i.e. rise in the body temperature. Pyrogens are of two major types (1)endogenous (2) Exogenous.

Endogenous Pyrogens are cytokines molecules which are the active part of the immune system of the organisms. These cytokines are produced by the immune cells and cause an increase in the temperature rise in the individual.

Exogenous Pyrogens are the substance s which comes from outer environment example is lipopolysaccharide (LPS) they are the component of the gram-negative bacterial cell wall and whenever there is such bacterial infection took place body temperature rises.

Role of Phagocytes: The phagocytes are also known as the eating cells of the body and play an important role in the body’s immune system. These phagocytes play a significant role in local or extended mode of inflammation and studies concluded the higher temperature rises the number and activity of phagocytes. A temperature of 40°C significantly increased the number of phagocytic cells and the phagocytic index by 41 and 37% respectively, as compared to cells incubated at 37°C (Djaldetti and Bessler, 2015)

Reference: Djaldetti M and Bessler. H,( 2015) High temperature affects the phagocytic activity of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 2015 Oct;75(6):482-6.

Role of Prostaglandins: Prostaglandins may be defined as the compound which has hormonal like effects. They are mainly cyclic fatty acids. It is seen that when there is a pyrogen in the body it triggers the release of prostaglandins i.e. E2 commonly known as PGE2. This PGE2 activates the hypothalamus and which initiate the systematic body response by generating heat in the body.

Role of Hypothalamus: is the part of the brain which regulates the body temperature whenever there is an infection in the body it triggers the immune system and finally activates the hypothalamus which causes the rise in body temperature.

Q.19. Extremely high fever can be dangerous to the patient, destroying proteins in the body. On the other hand, the fever has a role in healing a patient. Describe what a fever does to enhance the healing process.

Answer: Various studies suggested that the high temperature reduced the mortality in bacterial infection. It is seen that fever strengthen the host immune system because there are certain reactions of the immune system which are speed up only in high temperature. It is also seen that fever also help in the healing process in various methods like high-temperature increase mobility of leukocytes, enhance the leukocytes phagocytosis and decrease the effect of endotoxins, as well as in high-temperature conditions T cell proliferation is increased up to a significant level which helps in healing.