Free feeding patterns of rats: effects of pyrogen and dietary protein content

Infusion of bacterial pyrogen was accompanied by rise in body temperature, an increase in heat production, and a decrease in voluntary food intake of rats fed high or low protein diets. The magnitude of this pyrogen induced depression of food intake was comparable for both diets. In rats fed high protein diets, the decrease was additional to that normally seen following administration of such diets. These data indicate that the control of food intake cannot be explained in terms of a behavioral thermoregulatory response.