| pyrogen | <cell biology> Substance or agent that produces fever. The major endogenous pyrogen in mammals is probably interleukin-1. (18 Nov 1997) |
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| pyrogenic | <physiology> Fever inducing. Origin: Gr. Gennan = to produce (18 Nov 1997) |
| pyrogens | Substances capable of increasing body temperature; they may be of microbial origin, often polysaccharides and may contaminate distilled water. (12 Dec 1998) |
| endogenous pyrogen | Fever producing substance released by leucocytes (and Kuppfer cells in particular) that acts on the hypothalamic thermoregulatory centre. Now known to be interleukin-1. (18 Nov 1997) |
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