Journal of Nutrition

Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Journal of Nutrition Vol. 112 No. 3 March 1982, pp. 584-591
Copyright © 1982 by American Society for Nutrition
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Pintauro, S. J.
Right arrow Articles by Bergan, J. G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Pintauro, S. J.
Right arrow Articles by Bergan, J. G.

Effects of Ascorbic Acid on In Vitro Steroidogenesis in Guinea Pigs1,2,

Stephen J. Pintauro and James G. Bergan

Department of Food Science and Technology, Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881

Guinea pig ovarian whole tissue homogenates were incubated with [14C]-labelled cholesterol, pregnenolone, and progesterone. Testicular homogenates were incubated with [14C]-progesterone. All incubations were carried out in the presence of 0, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 mM ascorbic acid. The conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone was significnatly decreased in the 1.5 and 2.0 mM ascorbic acid incubations, resulting in a significant decrease in testosterone and progesterone production. The addition of 0.5 mM ascorbic acid increased the conversion of pregnenolone to {Delta}4 steroids and decreased its conversion to {Delta}5 steroids, relative to the other ascorbic acid treatments. The conversion of progesterone to 17A-hydroxyprogesterone was significantly decreased in the presence of 1.5 mM ascorbic acid over the O mM treatment. The data supports a general inhibitory effect of high ascorbic acid on the steroid hydroxylations, and a possible regulatory role of ascorbic acid on the conversion of pregnenolone to {Delta}4 and {Delta}5 steroids.

KEY WORDS: • L-Ascorbic acid • steroidogenesis • guinea pig

1 Paper 1962 in the Journal Series of The Rhode Island Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, R. I.

2 Presented in part at the 63rd Annual Meeting of The Federation of American Socities of Experimental Biologists, Dallas, Texas, April, 1979.

Manuscript received 20 July 1981.




Home Help [Feedback] [For Subscribers] [Archive] [Search] [Contents]