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Urinary Excretion of Ascorbic Acid by Guinea Pigs at Different Ages

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Division of Physiology, National Institute of Health, United States Public Health Service, Bethesda, Maryland

A study has been made of the retention of ascorbic acid by guinea pigs at different stages of growth. The animals were fed a scorbutogenic diet supplemented daily with ascorbic acid injected intraperitoneally in relation to body weight.

The results of daily determinations of the ascorbic acid excreted in the urine, per unit of body weight, show a definite upward trend with increasing age, leveling off at about the time growth is nearing completion. The excretion at 8 weeks of age was 0.67 mg/100 gm and at 24 weeks, 1.14 mg. Of the total ascorbic acid administered, 10.6% was excreted in the urine at the age of 6 weeks, 13% at 9 weeks, and 23% at 24 weeks.

An inverse relation was observed between the excretion of ascorbic acid per unit of body weight and the rate of growth at different ages.

The results show that a greater amount of ascorbic acid disappears during the period of rapid growth than during adulthood. Further study is necessary before conclusions can be drawn as to an effect of age on the ascorbic acid requirements of the guinea pig.