Possible Interaction: Vitamin C and Adrenocorticotropic Hormone

“Adrenal gland and wattle AA levels were unaffected; however, spleen AA concentration was lower in birds given ACTH at challenge.”

“Birds that received ACTH at sensitization had a greater wattle response than that of birds that received ACTH at challenge, and this effect was enhanced by dieting AA.”

“Whether given at challenge or at sensitization, ACTH decreased plasma AA when measured at those times.”

“PRELIMINARY data reported earlier by Munson and Briggs (1) showed that adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) increased the concentration of ascorbic acid in adrenal venous blood.”

“The intravenous administration of 20 rau or 50 mil of ACTH in hypophysectomized rats or “stress” in the intact rat produces an increase in the amount and concentration of ascorbic acid in blood collected from the adrenal vein by direct cannulation.”

“Long, Sayers, and co-workers (Sayers, Sayers, Lewis & Long, 1944, Sayers, Sayers, Liang & Long, 1945, 1946, Long, 1947) have demonstrated in a series of investigations that the adrenocorticotrophic hormone causes a marked and rapid decrease in the content of ascorbic acid in the adrenal glands.”

“In that organ a sharp fall in ascorbic acid concentration occurs within an hour after injection of adrenocorticotrophin , followed later by marked depression of cholesterol content (Sayers et al., 1946).”

“These data suggest that AA excess following adrenal stimulation with ACTH exerts an inhibitory effect on cortisol secretion and consequently it may be of no benefit in conditions of stress.”

“ Corticotrophin therapy reduces the stores of ascorbic acid in the adrenal cortex, and prolonged administration produces a deficiency and symptoms of scurvy.”

“3 The decolorisation time is significantly decreased by ascorbic acid and by glutathione, and increased by adrenocorticotrophic hormone and cortisone, when these agents are administered systemically.”

“The rise of urinary 11-oxycorticoid excretion is less when ACTH is given in combination with ascorbic acid than when ACTH is used alone (2).”

“In contrast, ACTH administered on Day 6 concurrently with AA inhibited AA accumulation compared to cultures exposed to AA alone.”

“The results … that ACTH has distinct long term stimulatory … acute inhibitory effects on AA accumulation by adrenocortical cells and suggest that both maximal AA accumulation and the responsiveness to acute inhibition of AA accumulation by ACTH may depend on the maintenance of the differentiated state of the adrenal cortex.”

“Abstract The active uptake of ascorbic acid by isolated rat adrenocortical cells increases with ascorbic acid concentration, depends on time and calcium, and is inhibited by ACTH concentrations required for maximal steroidogenesis.”