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HOWARD L. HOLLEY, M.D.; JAMES S. McLESTER, M.D.

AMA Arch Intern Med. 1951;88(6):760-761.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

ASCORBIC acid is found in highest concentration in the adrenal cortex, and it has been suggested that ascorbic acid plays the role of a reducing mechanism in the production of the steroid hormones of this organ.¹ In order to conserve the ascorbic acid content of the adrenal cortex, the body is apparently able to deplete other structures.²

It has been demonstrated that the administration of corticotropin (pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone, ACTH) will seriously reduce the stores of this vitamin in the adrenal gland,³ and this observation has suggested that the prolonged administration of this stimulating hormone might precipitate ascorbic acid deficiency, notably when supplementary amounts of the vitamin are not available. We have observed two cases which seemed to support this assumption. In each instance the prolonged administration of corticotropin was accompanied with evidences of marked vitamin C deficiency.

REPORT OF CASES

The first patient was a 67-year-old . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
BIRMINGHAM, ALA.

From the Department of Medicine, Medical College of Alabama.

Footnotes
A portion of this work was made possible by the John R. Irby Fund for the treatment of rheumatic diseases.

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