ELEVATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC SET POINT BY CYTOKINES

 

During fever, levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) are elevated in hypothalamic tissue and the third cerebral ventricle. The concentrations of PGE2 are highest near the circumventricular vascular organs (organum vasculosum of lamina terminalis)—networks of enlarged capillaries surrounding the hypothalamic regulatory centers. Destruction of these organs reduces the ability of pyrogens to produce fever. Most studies in animals have failed to show, however, that pyrogenic cytokines pass from the circulation into the brain itself. Thus, it appears that both exogenous and endogenous pyrogens interact with the endothelium of these capillaries and that this interaction is the first step in initiating fever—i.e., in raising the set point to febrile levels.

As has been mentioned, several cell types can produce pyrogenic cytokines. Pyrogenic cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, and TNF are released from the cells and enter the systemic circulation. Although the systemic effects of these circulating cytokines lead to fever by inducing the synthesis of PGE2, they also induce PGE2 in peripheral tissues. The increase in PGE2 in the periphery accounts for the nonspecific myalgias and arthralgias that often accompany fever. However, it is the induction of PGE2 in the brain that starts the process of raising the hypothalamic set point for core temperature.

 

There are four receptors for PGE2, and each signals the cell in different ways. Of the four receptors, the third (EP-3) is essential for fever: when the gene for this receptor is deleted in mice, no fever follows the injection of IL-1 or endotoxin. Deletion of the other PGE2 receptor genes leaves the fever mechanism intact. Although PGE2 is essential for fever, it is not a neurotransmitter. Rather, the release of PGE2 from the brain side of the hypothalamic endothelium triggers the PGE2 receptor on glial cells, and this stimulation results in the rapid release of cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP), which is a neurotransmitter. The release of cyclic AMP from the glial cells activates neuronal endings from the thermoregulatory center that extend into the area. The elevation of cyclic AMP is thought to account for changes in the hypothalamic set point either directly or indirectly by inducing the release of neurotransmitters. Distinct receptors for microbial products (such as endotoxins) from gram-negative bacteria and for teichoic acids from gram-positive bacteria are located on the hypothalamic endothelium. These receptors are called Toll-like receptors and are similar in many ways to IL-1 receptors. The direct activation of Toll-like receptors also results in PGE2 production and fever.
Source: Harrison_s_Principles_of_Internal_Medicine_16th_Edition