PEDIATRICS Vol. 47 No. 3 March 1971, pp. 571-576
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Matsaniotis, N.
Right arrow Articles by Constantsas, N.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Matsaniotis, N.
Right arrow Articles by Constantsas, N.

FEVER AND BIOCHEMICAL THERMOGENESIS

Nicholas Matsaniotis M.D.1, Vasiliki Pastelis M.D.1, Anthony Agathopoulos B.S.1, and Nicholas Constantsas Ph.D.1

1 Biochemical Division, Choremion Research Laboratory of the Pediatric Clinic, Athens University, Athens, Greece

Serum free fatty acid versus glycerol ratios were decreased in human newborn infants during pyrexia or cold injury, but remained practically unchanged in older infants and children. Decreased ratios in the newborn resulted exclusively from an increase in serum glycerol. In children a parallel increase in both serum glycerol and free fatty acids was observed in pyrexia. The results suggest that in pyrexia both newborn infants and older children behave as if they were cold, mobilizing the mechanisms of nonshivering and shivering thermogenesis respectively to adjust the temperature of their body at a relatively higher reference level.

Submitted on April 20, 1970
Accepted on November 9, 1970