Effects of cord factor on liver lipid: accumulation triglycerides

A single intraperitoneal injection of cord factor induced a remarkable increase in the amounts of triglycerides in liver. This effect was specific for cord factor among various lipid fractions of tuberclebacilli. Other lipid species of liver than triglycerides were not affected by cord factor injection. The accumulation of triglycerides became evident 16 to 24 hours after the cord factor injection and reached the maximum at 48 hours. As small a quantity as 12.5 mug of cord factor effectively induced the increase of triglycerides in liver.