Vitamin C infusion treatment enhances cortisol production of the adrenal via the pituitary ACTH route
Kodama, M.; Kodama, T.; Murakami, M.; Kodama, M.
In Vivo 8(6): 1079-1085
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0258-851X PMID: 7772741 Document Number: 425887
The present study is an extension of our past study on the clinical use of vitamin C infusion or injection treatment in autoimmune disease and allergy which suggests that the intravenous introduction of vitamin C may enhance the activity of the endogenous cortisol in such a way as to allow clinical control of immune disorders. This time, we investigated the relation between ACTH, cortisol and vitamin C in plasma in the course of vitamin C infusion or injection treatment with and without the use of methyl-prednisolone annex, a suppressor of the homeostatic mechanism of the pituitary ACTH. A total of 4 experiments were conducted using a healthy male volunteer. Results obtained are as follows: 1) the practice of the steroid-free vitamin C infusion' treatment induced a) distinct depletion of both cortisol and vitamin C from the circulation at the initial to moderate stages of the experiment, b) a small surge of plasma cortisol at the middle stage, and c) skyrocket-like rises of ACTH and cortisol of plasma at the terminal stage. 2) The use of methylprednisolone annex in the vitamin C infusion set completely suppressed the emergence of the plasma ACTH/cortisol surges of the terminal stage, but not the small surge of plasma cortisol. The synthetic steroid also suppressed the depletion of vitamin C and cortisol of the intitial to moderate stages. 3) The terminal ACTH/cortisol surges of plasma were less distinct in the vitamin C injection experiment than in the vitamin C infusion experiment. Evidence was presented to indicate that the stimulating effect of vitamin C injection treatment on the plasma cortisol activity could be improved by repeating vitamin C injection with an interval of one day. It was concluded that vitamin C infusion or injection treatment enhances the activity of plasma cortisol in 2 ways: a) activation of cortisol precursor in the adrenal; b) stimulation of the pituitary ACTH/adrenal cortisol activity through the activation of the corresponding hormone genes in the 2 endocrine organs, and that the use of methyl-prednisolone annex suppresses the latter process, but not the former. A possible mechanism of action of vitamin C treatment is discussed in relation to the function of the electron transport system of the organism.