On the failure of glycogen deposition in the livers of scorbutic guinea pigs.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION ADECREASED amount of glycogen occurs in the liver of the scorbutic guinea pig, and partiy because of this it was suggested that decreased adrenocortical function exists in scurvy. The problem has been carefully reviewed by Morgan (1952). More recently, increased amounts of cortisol (Compound F), have been identified in the blood and urine of scorbutic guinea pigs (Burstein, Dorfman, and Nadel 1954), supporting the suggestion that adrenocortical hormone production was not diminished, but actually was enhanced in scurvy (Clayton and Prunty, 1951; Nadel and Schneider, 1951, 1952). Decreased glycogen in the livers of scorbutic guinea pigs in the presence of increased amounts of circulating cortisol appeared to be paradoxical to us, for it suggested that this glucocorticosteroid was not physiologically able to help deposit glycogen in the liver when the guinea pig was depleted of vitamin C (Nadel and Mulay, 1954). The problem was investigated further by comparing the abilities of vitamin C deficie...