VIII. EFFECTS OF DEFICIENCY IN ANIMALS 343 



virus, inculcated with vitamin C at pll 6.0, was found to he inactive when 

 tested intracerehrally in rahhits. KHgler and Bernhoff'*^' in experiments 

 with vaccinia virus found that relatively small amounts of ascorbic acid 

 inactivated infective doses of the virus. Glutathione was also effective but 

 somewhat less so. McCarty^^" investigated the mechanism of the virucidal 

 action of ascorbic acid on pneumococcal types, and Klein"^ its action on 

 influenza virus A. They found that the effects of the \Titamin are probably 

 produced chiefly by the formation of hydrogen peroxide. Klein has expressed 

 the opinion that "the \'irucidal activity of ascorbic acid can have no thera- 

 peutic application because the presence of catalase in body tissues will 

 destroy the hydrogen peroxide formed during the copper-catalyzed oxida- 

 tion of ascorbic acid." Other workers in this field tend to accept this view 

 with some reservation, since there may be other substances present in cells 

 which may also react with hydrogen peroxide.^^*- ^ 



c. Allergic and Anaphylactic Reactions 



Ascorbic acid also appears to play a role in these conditions. Hochwald"^ 

 reported finding that the allergic condition is associated with an alteration 

 in blood proteins involving increases in fibrinogen and globulin. Increase in 

 fibrinogen and decrease in the albumin/globulin ratio have been previously 

 mentioned as characteristic of scurvy. Hochwald found that the albumin/ 

 globulin ratio was elevated by administration of vitamin C. If 100 mg. of 

 the \'itamin was injected into sensitized guinea pigs a few minutes before 

 administering the shocking dose, no anaphylaxis developed. He also re- 

 ported finding that ascorbic acid had no effect on histamine shock. It was 

 interesting in view of the fact that no characteristic blood protein changes 

 occur in the latter condition. Several other investigators have reported find- 

 ing that vitamin C makes guinea pigs more resistant to serum shock, 

 especially if administered in advance of the shocking dose.*^^'^^^ Yosikawa'*'''' 

 stated that vitamin C inhibits allergy only with continued use of rather 

 large doses; smaller doses, in fact, often intensify the allergy. Diehl'*^' re- 



«9 I. J. Kligler and H. Bernhoff, Nature 139, 965 (1937). 



"0 M. McCarty, J. Exptl. Med. 81, 501 (1945). 



«" M. Klein, Science 101, 587 (1945). 



«2 A. Hochwald, Z. ges. exptl. Med. 97, 433 (1935). 



*" P. Giroud and A. Giroud, Compt. rend. soc. biol. 121, 1588 (1936). 



"* B. Solomonica, J. Immunol. 31, 209 (1936). 



«5 H. Lomke, Monatschr. Kinderheilk. 67, 244 (1936). 



<78 G. Ungar, J. L. Parrot, and A. Levillain, Compt. rend. soc. biol. 125, 1015 (1937). 



*" M. Yamamoto, Oriental J. Diseases Infants 23, 11 (1938). 



«8 M. Hasimoto, S. Kitamura, and S. Suzuki, J. Oriental Med. 28, 155 (1938). 



♦" S. Yokayama, Kitasato Arch. Exptl. Med. 17, 17 (1940). 



^*o K. Yosikawa, Acta Med. Xayasak. I, Ref. 10 (1939). 



«i F. Diehl, Klin. Wochschr. 18, 956 (1939). 



