In Vitro Conversion of Desoxycortisol to Cortisol by Adrenal Tissues in Ascorbic Acid Deficiency

¹ From the Department of Physiology, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, D. C.

The influence of ascorbic acid nutrition on the ability of adrenal tissue to convert 11-desoxycortisol (compound S) to cortisol was studied. It was shown that this process of 11-beta-hydroxylation of desoxycortisol was decreased in ascorbic acid deficiency. Addition of ascorbate to preparations of normal adrenals with desoxycortisol enhanced the conversion. Ascorbate addition corrected the decreased 11-beta-hydroxylation ability of the adrenals of animals on the deficient fare for 13–25 days, but failed to affect the ability of the adrenals of animals on the fare for 35 days. Ascorbate decreased (P < 0.01) the spontaneous formation of 17-OH,20,21-ketol corticosteroids by normal adrenals. The decreased spontaneous formation of these substances by the ascorbic acid deficient adrenal is corrected by ascorbate.