Effect of Ascorbic Acid in Pantothenic Acid Deficiency

Abstract

The influence of ascorbic acid, phthalylsulfathiazole, ascorbic acid and sulfathiazole combined, citric acid, and an antibiotic, hygromycin, on the physiological effects of a pantothenic acid-deficient diet were investigated in experiments with male weanling albino rats. The concentration of hygromycin was 100 or 200 mg per kilogram of diet; each of the other test substances was used at a 2% level. The presence of either ascorbic acid or hygromycin in the pantothenic acid-deficient diet delayed or suppressed the appearance of deficiency signs. Sulfathiazole, fed simultaneously with ascorbic acid, counteracted the beneficial effect of the ascorbic acid. The addition of citric acid did not seem to influence significantly the effect of the basal deficient diet. The histological picture of the adrenals and testes, as well as the distribution of blood serum proteins, were affected markedly by the supplements. It is concluded that the favorable effect of ascorbic acid is probably a secondary one, mediated through changes in the intestinal microflora, and that these changes may not be identical with those observed when feeding hygromycin.