HYPERVITAMINOSIS A 617 



acid (\'itamin C).^'^^ Thus, it was reported that fish liver oils counter- 

 acted the antiscorbutic effect of ascorbic acid in guinea pigs;ii92,ii93 qqj^_ 

 versely, v. Euler and Widell"^^ showed that ascorbic acid had a beneficial 

 effect upon the mcidence of bone fractures, and upon the reduction in 

 growth of rats, resulting from the administration of large amounts of cod 

 liver oil. Similar favorable results of ascorbic acid on hj^Dervitaminosis 

 A were reported by Wendt and Schroeder,^^^* in the case of both rats and 

 gmnea pigs; ascorbic acid had a marked delating action on the deposition 

 of vitamin A in the liver. In contradistmction to these positive results, a 

 number of workers have failed to confirm the hypothesis that an interrela- 

 tionship exists between vitamin A and ascorbic acid. Thus, Collett and 

 Eriksen"^^ failed to demonstrate any antagonistic action of vitamin A 

 against -vitamin C, except in ^'ery high dosages (in guinea pigs). Simola 

 and Kauppmen^^^^ observed that the ascorbic acid content of the tissues of 

 A-hyper\'itanunotic guinea pigs and rats was normal. Moreover, over- 

 doses of \'itannn A were not found to increase the ascorbic acid require- 

 ment of guinea pigs.^^^^ Jonsson and co-workers^^" state that scurvy may 

 occur as a secondary symptom in rats deficient in \dtamin A. 



One suggestion is that thyroxine acts as a third factor m the interrela- 

 tionship of vitamin A and ascorbic acid,^^^^'^^^^ and that an antithyroid fac- 

 tor is present in scurvy. ^^^^ Additional e\ddence of the relationship of vita- 

 mins A and C is based upon the reduction of ascorbic acid in A hypervita- 

 mmotic rats, m contrast to the findings of Simola and Kauppmen.^^^^ 

 Thus, when an o^^erdosage of ^dtamin A-rich oil concentrate was given to 

 rats, the urinary ascorbic acid disappeared."^^ Abnormally low ascorbic 

 acid values were found by Rodahl"^ in the serum and hver of A-hj'per\dta- 

 minoticrats. Moreover, the toxic effect of excessive doses of vitamin A was 

 found to be greater in guinea pigs on a scorbutigenic diet than on one fur- 

 nishing adequate amounts of vitamin C. Rodahl"^* reported that rats 

 could be protected against moderate dosages of vitamin A, up to 50,000 

 I.U./day, by the subcutaneous injection of ascorbic acid. However, a 

 number of workers "^^•"^^''-'* failed to observe abnormal ascorbic acid 



'192 G. Mouriquaud and P. Michel, Compt. rend. soc. bioL, 86, 1170-1172 (1922). 

 "93 G. Mouriquand, P. Michel, and R. Sanvas, Lyon med., 132, 360-362 (1923). 

 •19^ E. Collett and B. Eriksen, Biochem. J., 32, 2299-2303 (1938). 

 '!« p. E. Simola and T. K. Kauppinen, Skand. Arch. Physiol., 71, 31-32 (1935). 

 '"6 J. Melka, Com-pt. rend. soc. hiol, I4I, 521-523 (1947). 



11" A. G. Jonsson, A. L. Obel, and K. Sjoberg, Z. Vitaminforsch., 12, 300-320 (1942). 

 1198 G, Torok, Magyar Orvosi Arch. {Budapest), n.s. 39, 315 (1938); Chem. Abst., S3, 

 227 (1939). 



11" G. Balassa and G. Szdnto, Z. Vitaminforsch., 8, 233-237 (1939). 



'MO N. Eeg-Larsen and A. Pihl, Acta Pharmacol. Toxicol, 7, 367-375 (1951). 



