The mother of a 17 month-old-girl took the baby to the pediatrician because she found that her daughter’s rectal temperature was 103.1 ᵒF (39.5 ᵒC). After physical examination, the pediatrician said the fever was most likely due to a viral infection and prescribed ibuprofen. Which of the following molecular actions most likely mediated the antipyretic effect of the drug in this patient?
a. Blockade of prostaglandin receptors in the hypothalamus
b. Inhibition of phospholipase A2 in the hypothalamus
c. Decreased interleukin concentration in the hypothalamus
d. Decreased concentration of cyclooxygenase in peripheral tissues
e. Blockade of oxidative phosphorylation in skeletal muscle