Anorexia during febrile conditions in dwarf goats. The effect of diazepam, flurbiprofen and naloxone

The most common sign of febrile diseases is anorexia, which develops at a time when adequate caloric and micronutrient availability may be critical. In order to study the relationship of fever and anorexia, feed intake in dwarf goats was studied under conditions of fever and antipyresis. Furthermore, experiments were done to establish whether a feed intake stimulant would override the anorexia during febrile conditions. Infection with Ehrlichia phagocytophila and i.v. injection of Escherichia coli endotoxin (0(111) B4, 0.1 microgram/kg body weight) both resulted in increased rectal temperatures and significant reductions in feed intake. Administration of the antipyretic drug flurbiprofen (1 mg/kg) to febrile animals inhibited the temperature responses, but food intake was still suppressed. Diazepam (0.06 mg/kg), a feed intake stimulant, did not override the anorexia associated with fever. Blocking the febrile response of E. coli LPS-injected goats with flurbiprofen plus diazepam or with flurbiprofen plus naloxone (0.1 mg/kg) did not antagonise their reduced feed intake either. The effects of these drugs and of endotoxin on rumen motility adds an interesting aspect to their activities in the CNS, since the CNS has been shown to regulate various aspects of forestomach motility, which in turn could alter feeding behaviour. Moreover, our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the suppression of feed intake might depend on the release of interleukin-1.