Cytokines like TNF-alpha and interferon stimulate the liver to increase VLDL secretion by increasing lipid synthesis and reducing ApoB degradation.

“And so as we got cytokines, we got inflammation, those come to the liver. And one of the early studies that got me interested in this aspect of things is that we showed, in collaboration with people at UCSF, that cytokines, such as TNF-alpha in particular, but interferon, as well, stimulate the production of VLDL secretion by the liver. And so, again, infectious agent, inflammatory signals, cytokines are produced, increasing lipid synthesis, reducing the degradation of ApoB, allowing the rapid export of these VLDL particles, all of that occurs in minutes.”