VIII. EFFECTS OF DEFICIENCY IN ANIMALS 329 



when used as a supplement in addition to thiamine in rats maintained 

 on diets deficient in vitamin Bi. They also observed a sj-nergism of ac- 

 tion between the two vitamins so marked as to reach an almost complete 

 substitution, particularly of thiamine, by ascorbic acid. Aloisi and Polanyi^" 

 confirmed the synergism described by Kasahara et at. and reported success 

 with ascori)ic acid in curing within a few minutes rats affected with poly- 

 neuritis caused by thiamine deficiency. A possil)le impoitant interrelation 

 of ascorbic acid to pyruvate metai)olism has l)een suggested in results ob- 

 tained by Cavallini .*^=' A stimulating etTect of vitamin C on pyruvate oxi- 

 dation may account for the sparing action on thiamine. Zucker et al.^^^ 

 stated that thiamine increases the fixation of ascorbic acid by guinea pig 

 tissues. Highet and West'®^ studied the toxic effects produced by the ad- 

 ministration of large doses of thiamine to scorbutic guinea pigs. They found 

 that muscular weakness and emaciation were the most outstanding effects 

 l)roduced. 



(6) Riboflavin. >\\m et al}'^'' observed a reduction in content of ascorbic 

 acid in the tissues of riboflavin-deficient as compared to normal rats. Ran- 

 doin and Raffy"" found a 20 to 40 % decrease in the riboflavin content of 

 the kidneys and adrenals in scorbutic guinea pigs as compared to those of 

 normal animals. The other organs showed no significant change. Unfor- 

 tunately the animals were not pair fed. Ekman and Stromlieck"' reported 

 that rats on riboflavm-deficient diets live longer if supplied with ascorbic 

 acid and suggested that the vitamin exerts its beneficial action by the 

 oxidative detoxification of aromatic metabolic substances produced in the 

 body. 



(7) Pantothenic Add. The interrelations of pantothenic acid and ascorbic 

 acid with adrenal stmcture and function have been reviewed recently .^^- 

 The excretion of these two vitamins was studied by Dumm and Ralli^" in 

 adrenalectomized and intact rats maintained on diets deficient in and sup- 

 plemented with calcium pantothenate. Consideration of their data led the 

 authors to suggest that the adrenal gland is concerned in ascorbic acid 

 synthesis. 



Daft''"'' has oliserxed a somewhat imexpected effect of ascorbic acid on 

 pantothenic acid-deficient rats. Incorporation of 2% ascorbic acid in the 

 pantothenic acid-free diet prevented development of all pantothenic acid 



'" M. Aloisi and V. Pulanyi, Boll. soc. Hal. biol. sper. 14, 637 (.UKW); 15, 451 09^0). 



36« L. Zucker, L. Hall, M. Young, and T. F. Zucker, Growth 5, .399 (1942). 



»«» D. M. Ilighet and E. S. West, Proc. Soc. Exptl. Biol. Med. 63, 482 (1946). 



"0 L. Randoin and A. RalTy, Compt. rend. soc. biol. 127, 590 (1938). 



"' B. Ekman and J. P. Strombeck, Acta Physiol. Scand. 18, 99 (1949). 



'" Xutrition Revs. 8, 25 (1950). 



"= M. K. Dumm and E. P. Ralli, Endocrinologi/ 45, 188 (1949). 



"< F. B. Daft, Federation Proc. 10, 380 (1951). 



