QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Basu, T. K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Basu, T. K.

Effects of Estrogen and Progestogen on the Ascorbic Acid Status of Female Guinea Pigs^1,2,

Department of Foods and Nutrition, The University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta., Canada T6G 2M8

Female, adult guinea pigs were fed a low ascorbic acid diet ad libitum. Oral administrations of either estinyl (5 µg) or progestogen (250 µg) in combination with 5 mg of ascorbic acid (minimum requirement) daily for 21 d, resulted in significantly lower (P < 0.05) concentrations of ascorbic acid in plasma, liver, adrenals and urine than in animals receiving only 5 mg of the vitamin. None of these animals showed any clinical signs of ascorbic acid deficiency. Clinical manifestations of scurvy were exhibited, however, when animals receiving no ascorbic acid supplement were treated with the steroid hormones for 7 d. All of these animals died by d 10. On the other hand, the animals receiving neither ascorbic acid nor the steroids remained free from any signs of scurvy, except one (out of six), which died by d 12. In vitro studies revealed a markedly higher rate of oxidation of ascorbic acid in the presence of either estinyl or progestogen than in untreated controls. These results were further supported by a higher level of plasma ceruloplasmin in animals receiving a combination of estrogen and progestogen than in animals receiving no hormones. An in vivo dose-related effect of ascorbic acid indicated that the steroid-mediated lowering effect of the vitamin status could be counteracted by increasing the dose of ascorbic acid from 5 to 10 mg/d for 2 wk. These results suggest that the interactions between oral contraceptive hormones and ascorbic acid may be of clinical importance only in the case of borderline intake of the vitamin.

KEY WORDS: • estrogen • progestogen • suboptimal ascorbic acid intake • ascorbate metabolism • ceruloplasmin

¹ Supported by a grant from the Central Research Fund of The University of Alberta.

² Presented at the 4th International Symposium on Vitamins, August, 1985, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Manuscript received 14 February 1985. Revision accepted 11 December 1985.