Vlll. EFFECTS OF DEFICIEXCY I\ ANIMALS 305 



of a disturhaiico in the surface forces. Nungester and Ames'^' finding of 

 markedly reduced phagocytic actiN-ity and increased fragihty of polymor- 

 phonuclear cells in scorbutic animals affords another illustration of abnor- 

 mal cell surface behavior in scorbutic animals. 



Lack of ascori)ic acid is known to affect both the migration and arrange- 

 ment of the intercellular matrix-producing cells and consequently also their 

 products. Without it the arrangement is chaotic." Danielli el al}^ found 

 that in scar tissue of guinea pigs recei\'ing 2 mg. of ascorbic acid daily the 

 orientation of fibroblasts is much more orderly than at levels of 0.7 mg. 

 and 1.0 mg. This disarrangement of the matrix-producing cells in scurvy 

 may be responsible for the amorphous stmcture of the secretory products 

 in the different types of mesenchymal tissues. One of the best-kno\^^l illus- 

 trations of this disorganizing effect is to be found in the odontoblasts of 

 the teeth in which the cells lose their long, columnar shape, becom- 

 ing shorter, rounder, and completely disarranged,' with the consequence 

 that the secretory product, the dentine, loses its crystalline character.'"* 

 Also, bone salts, which are normallj^ laid down in crystalline form with a 

 specific orientation of the molecules, are deposited as amorphous masses 

 in scurvy.'*' 



(2) Ascorbic Acid or Its Derivatives As Components of Other Compounds. 

 (a) In Structural Materials. If the vitamin is used for structural purposes 

 some modification of the molecule must occur, since connective tissue, for 

 the production of which it is so essential, has itself an especially low ascorbic 

 acid content. A significant approach to the problem has been made by 

 Bums et alP Thej^ fed the vitamin with labeled C" in the carboxy position 

 to normal and scorbutic guinea pigs and found that 20 to 30 % of the in- 

 jected dose appeared as respired CO2 within 24 hours; 3 to 6% of the total 

 activity was found in the urine, and 0.7 % in the feces, making a total re- 

 covery of .slightly more than 23 to 36 %. Radioactivity in the tissues was 

 distributed approximately the same as was ascorbic acid with no marked 

 differences in the amounts in normal and scorbutic animals when compared 

 on a unit weight basis. In a test with an animal which had been maintained 

 on a daily dosage of 2 mg. of ascorbic acid, then given 3.32 mg. of the C* 

 product with no additional ascorbic acid for the following 10 days, 66% 

 of the administered C* was expired as CO2 during this period and 22% 

 was excreted in the urine. The fact that the teeth had a higher specific 

 activity than such organs as the adrenals, liver, and spleen suggests the 

 possibility of fixation and concentration of the radioactive material. The 

 suggestion that ascorljic acid may be the precursor of the carbonate in the 

 teeth would seem to follow. It would be of interest to determine if the teeth 

 have a higher relative content of the vitamin than the other tissues men- 

 tioned. No definite evidence was ol)tained of radioactivity in the chondroitin 



