Anorexia of infection is a component of sickness behavior that impacts on the outcome of infectious diseases.

The mechanisms regulating this metabolic response remain elusive. We found that anorexia of infection is associated with induction of ferritin expression in the liver.

This master regulator of iron metabolism induces the expression of G6Pase, sustaining hepatic glucose production and maintaining blood glucose within upper and lower threshold levels compatible with host survival.

Glucoinfect addresses how this metabolic response operates to establish disease tolerance to viral, bacterial and protozoan infections.