Abstract
To clarify the relationship of plasma ascorbic acid to cellular ascorbic acid levels, we determined plasma, lymphocyte, buccal cell and semen ascorbic acid in eight healthy men consuming controlled ascorbic acid intakes of 5, 10, 20, 60 or 250 mg/d over 13 wk while living in a metabolic unit. Levels of ascorbic acid in all four specimen types were significantly lower during the three lowest intakes (5, 10, or 20 mg/d) compared with the 60 or 250 mg/d intakes, but only plasma and lymphocyte ascorbic acid levels discriminated between these intakes unequivocally and with no overlap. Priority for maintenance of intracellular lymphocyte ascorbic acid was indicated by rapid repletion of lymphocytes compared with plasma and semen at 60 mg/d intake. Strong correlations of plasma with lymphocyte ascorbic acid within individuals indicated that plasma levels would reliably reflect low lymphocyte levels in nutrition monitoring surveys. Buccal cell ascorbic acid may be useful as a noninvasive screening test for ascorbic acid deficiency. Semen and sperm qualities were unchanged despite an average decline in semen ascorbic acid to 24% of baseline. Short-term ascorbic acid depletion in healthy men did not adversely affect sperm qualities related to fertility nor did moderate supplementation improve them.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
