pyrogen (redirected from exogenous pyrogen)

pyrogen /py·ro·gen/ (pi´ro-jen) a fever-producing substance.

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py·ro·gen (pr-jn)

n.

A substance that produces a fever.

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Pyrogen

A chemical circulating in the blood that causes a rise in body temperature.

Mentioned in: Fever

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pyrogen

[pī′rəjən]

Etymology: Gk, pyr, fire, genein, to produce

any substance or agent that tends to cause a rise in body temperature, such as some bacterial toxins. See also fever. pyrogenic, adj.

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pyrogen [pi´ro-jen]

an agent that causes fever; called also pyretic and pyrectic. adj., adj pyrogen´ic.

endogenous pyrogen a low-molecular-weight protein that is produced by phagocytic leukocytes in response to stimulation by exogenous pyrogens and released into the circulation; it induces fever by acting on the preoptic area of the hypothalamus to raise the set-point of the hypothalamic thermostat. The pyrogen produced by monocytes and macrophages is not identical to that produced by neutrophils and eosinophils; the mononuclear phagocytes also produce a greater amount of pyrogen for a longer period of time than do the polymorphonuclear cells.

exogenous p's fever-producing agents of external origin, e.g., bacterial endotoxins and other microbial products, antigen-antibody complexes, viruses and synthetic polynucleotides, incompatible blood and blood products, and androgen breakdown products such as etiocholanolone; the action is mediated by endogenous pyrogen.

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pyrogen

an agent that causes fever.

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endogenous pyrogen (EP)

the mediator of fever, produced by polymorphonuclear leukocytes, monocytes and macrophages.

exogenous pyrogen

lipopolysaccharides and other substances produced by pathogenic microorganisms.

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pyrogen

 A fever-inducing substance