Final answer:
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is the cytokine that increases local muscle temperature and stimulates the production of acute phase reactants in the liver, playing a vital role in the body's inflammatory response and immune activity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The specific cytokine that acts on local muscle to increase temperature and signals the liver to make acute phase reactants such as Mannose-binding lectin (MBLs) and C-reactive proteins (CRPs) is Interleukin-6 (IL-6). IL-6 is one of the cytokines involved in the inflammatory response and plays a crucial role in mediating fever and the production of acute-phase proteins. As part of the body's immune response, IL-6 contributes to fighting infection and repairing injured tissue.
Cytokines such as IL-6 also stimulate the nervous system to contribute to the symptoms associated with feeling sick, like muscle pain and nausea. Moreover, cytokines are responsible for increasing body temperature through fever, which can be beneficial in inhibiting the replication of certain pathogens, representing a defensive mechanism known as nutritional immunity.
The inflammatory response and phagocytosis involve different white blood cells like neutrophils and macrophages, which arrive at the site of infection or injury to engulf and digest pathogens, with cytokines like IL-6 directing this immune response.