EXCRETION OF FORMALDEHYDEGENIC (FG) SUBSTANCES BY NORMAL AND SCORBUTIC GUINEA PIGS*

Abstract

The excretion of formaldehydegenic (FG) substances by normal male guinea pigs is high, being of the order of 100 ug./24 hrs. Animals on a scorbutigenic diet showed first normal, then low, and as the deficiency disease progressed, very high FG titers. After ascorbic acid therapy, animals with high titers excreted diminished amts. of FG substances. Starved animals given daily supplements of ascorbic acid showed normal excretion values, but these values rose when the loss in body wt. was 45%. Fractionation of urinary extracts from normal and scorbutic animals showed that the periodate-reacting material was largely water soluble and ketonic in nature. The purest fraction of extracts of urine from scorbutic animals showed an absorption max. at 240 uu in alcoholic soln. Sulfuric acid solns. of this fraction displayed a green fluorescence and absorption max. at 280uu, 390 uu and 470 uu, corresponding to those given for 17-hydroxycorticosterone.