Studies on the effect of triton (WR-1339) on guinea pig tissues. I. Lipide chemistry of lung, liver, spleen, adrenals, and blood.

Guinea pigs given three subcutaneous injections of triton WR-1339, 300 mg./kg., at 3 day intervals develop an intense lipemia as evidenced by marked increases in serum phospholipide, free cholesterol, ester cholesterol, neutral fat, and total fatty acids. The total fatty acid content of the lung, liver, and spleen, however, remains unchanged. No qualitative change in the fatty acids of the lung and liver from treated animals could be detected by the methods used. The injection of triton was found to diminish slightly the cholesterol content of the adrenal glands. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to an understanding of the mechanism involved in the therapeutic action of triton in experimental tuberculosis.