VIII. EFFECTS OF DEFICIENCY IN ANIMALS 301 



was not thickened and the cell walls of the underlying cells were indistinct 

 and rather blurred in appearance. The nuclei were small and not well-de- 

 fined." 



i. Other Endocrine Glands 



Some investigators find little evidence of an effect of ascorbic acid defi- 

 ciency on the size or activity of the thyroid. ^^'' ^^- Aschoff and Koch^" stated 

 that the thyroids and hypophyses were normal in their scurvy cases. Harris 

 and Smith, *^^ however, obtained results indicating a pathological condition 

 of the th\Toid in vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs. The changes noted 

 in the chronic deficiency were an increased number of interfollicular cells, 

 a decrease in colloid, an increased vacuolization, and a lengthening of the 

 cells lining the follicles. In acute scurvy, the changes were similar though 

 less marked liecause of the shorter period of survival. Acute starvation b}^ 

 their methods revealed no changes in the thyroid. In similar studies, how- 

 e^■er, ]\Iurray^^^ reported that in scurvy the thyroid shows hyperemia, hy- 

 persecretion, and irregularity of structure, and A})ercrombie^^^ descril)ed 

 changes similar to those obtained by Harris and Smith. Meyer*^ stated that 

 sections from some of the thyroids of his scorbutic animals "suggested a 

 reduction in the amount of colloid and an increase in the amoiuit of intra- 

 follicular (desquamated) cells, but since both these intrafollicular constit- 

 uents varied considerably in amount in the same thyroid, as well as in 

 different thyroids, one needs a very large series in order to make relialile 

 conclusions." It is ob\-ious that the effects of ascorbic acid deficiency on 

 the th\Toid are not well differentiated and defined. In their study of the 

 efTects of ascorbic acid deficiency on embrj^onic development Harman and 

 Warren'^ found that the thyroids in the normal fetuses were large, pale in 

 color, and sharply convoluted whereas those of the deficient animals were 

 smaller, darker in color, and only slightly convoluted. 



6. Some General Cytological Aspects of Vitamin C Deficiency 



A reduction in cytoplasm together with indistinctness of cell walls have 

 been described by several investigators.''- ^^- ^^ The increase in nuclei which 

 has been found in several types of tissue is presumably a result of the dis- 

 appearance of the normal cell boundaries, including the intercellular cement. 

 These changes are undoubtedly of great importance. 



'" A. W. Spenoe and E. F. Scowen, Biochim. J. 29, 562 (1935). 



'92 M. Schol^er, Endokrinologie 22, 24 (1939). 



'" K. D. Harris and A. E. .Smith, Am. J. Physiol. 84, 599 (1928). 



»" M. Murray, Z. Vitaminforsch. 6, 239 (1937). 



'»^ \V. F. Al.ercrombie, J. Am. Med. Assoc. 105, 310 (1935). 



