EFFECT OF CORTISONE ON TOLERANCE TO ASCORBIC ACID AND LEVEL OF BLOOD CHOLESTEROL IN MAN^*†

EXPERIMENTAL studies with animals (1, 2, 3) as well as clinical studies have been reported, which suggest a relationship between ascorbic acid metabolism and adrenocortical hormones. The therapeutic use of ascorbic acid in large doses and of ascorbic acid in conjunction with adrenocortical hormone administration has been proposed in the treatment of collagenous diseases (4, 5, 6, 7). Our own experimental observations and those of others on the diminution of ascorbic acid excretion following adrenocortical hormone administration provoked our curiosity as to what might occur in the various patients during cortisone therapy. Selye (8) postulates that a major factor in the pathogenesis of certain diseases, now treated with cortisone, is failure of the particular organism to adapt to stress. It has been shown repeatedly that during stress adrenal ascorbic acid and cholesterol decrease (Sayers, 9). In a previous report (10), we have suggested that the increase in serum cholesterol following ascorbic acid administration may represent adrenal gland release of cholesterol concomitant with storage of ascorbic acid in the gland, although it is questionable whether the hypercholesterolemia is due entirely to adrenal gland response.