Plasma Lipids in Scurvy: Effect of Ascorbic Acid Supplement and Insulin Treatment.

Abstract

The different fractions of plasma lipids were estimated in normal, scorbutic, insulin treated scorbutic and ascorbic acid supplemented scorbutic guinea pigs. Beta lipoprotein: alpha lipoprotein ratio, beta lipoprotein cholesterol, phospholipids and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) of plasma were increased and plasma triglycerides diminished in scorbutic animals. While insulin treatment of the scorbutic animals corrected only the plasma NEFA and triglyceride values, ascorbic acid supplementation brought back all these values to normal levels. Total plasma cholesterol did not change in scurvy. Ascorbic acid supplementation lowered the plasma cholesterol value below the value seen in normal guinea pigs, indicating hypocholesteremic effect of ascorbic acid. Neither insulin nor ascorbic acid supplementation seem to have specific roles in the metabolism of phospholipids.