A study of the anti-pyretic effect of quinine, an alkaloid effective against cerebral malaria, on fever induced by bacterial endotoxin and yeast in rats.

The effect of quinine on fever induced by lipopolysaccharide and brewer's yeast has been investigated in rats. Oral administration of 50 or 100 mg kg(-1) quinine, doses which had no effect on normothermic rats, significantly reduced lipopolysaccharide- (50 microg kg(-1), i.m.) and yeast- (2 g kg(-1)) induced fever in rats. Pentoxifylline (100 mg kg(-1)), a tumour necrosis factor antagonist also attenuated the febrile response induced by lipopolysaccharide, but not that by yeast, in a manner similar to quinine. Piroxicam (5 mg kg(-1)), a cyclooxygenase inhibitor suppressed both types of fever with a longer duration of action. In addition to its anti-pyretic effect, quinine had a significant anti-inflammatory effect in the carrageenan model of acute inflammation in the hind-paw of rats. The results indicate the anti-inflammatory and anti-pyretic potential of quinine which might be important in addition to its anti-plasmodial action in the therapy of cerebral malaria.