J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 54(11): 1059-1067, 1954

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Original article

AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF VITAMIN C ON THE THYROID FUNCTIONS

The above mentioned influences are quite different according to the investigators that the anthor performed the following experimental studies on the healthy male rabbits of over 2 kg feeded with a Vitamin C deficient food and with the thyroid preparation (Control group, 8 animals). The 21 animals of this kind were given Vitamin C from the beginning of the experiment for 10 days (Vitamin C group I); from the second week of the experiment during two weeks . (Vitamin C group II); and from the last third week of the experiment during one week (Vitamin C group III).
The following changes were seen:
A. In the hyperthyroid rabbits under Vitamin C deficient food;
Loss of body weight, fever elevation, diminution of whole Vitamin C contents and its concentration in urine, hyperglycemia, diminution of sugar assimilation, leucocytosis, tachycardia, tendency of depilation, anorexia, diminution of fecal and urinary secretion and last, the tendency to diarrhea.
The histopathological changes of some organs of the animals under the same conditions were as follows :
1. In the thyroid glands;
Follicles became small, colloid was diluted, the epithel cells became cylindrical and hard to stained.
2. In the adrenal glands;
Dilatation of vessels and bleeding, swelling of the cells in each layer of its cortex and marrow, degeneration and necrosis of nucleus and infiltration of round cells.
3. In the testicle;
No remarkable changes.
B. In the hyperthyroid animals under Vitamin C supply;
1. The loss of weight could not be perfectly inhibited by this Vitamin in all groups. In the Vitamin C group III, otherwise, the inhibition was stronger than any other two Vitamin groups.
2. The fever elevation was remarkably inhibitted in all Vitamin groups, especially in the group III.
3. The whole amounts of Vitamin C in urine augmented in all groups, especially in group I. The Vitamin C concentration in urine augmented temporally in all groups, but it diminished at last.
4. The hyperglycemia was inhibitted in all groups, but the function of assimilation became gradually to normal.
5. The diminution of white blood cells was inhibitted remarkably in the groups II and III.
6. The augmentation of pulse rate was inhibitted remarkably in the groups II and III.
7. The depilation was inhibitted in all groups, especially in the groups II and III.
8. The depression of appetite was inhibitted remarkably in the groups II and III.
9. No influence on the amount of feces, but the diarrhea was controlled remarkably in group I.
10. The olyguria was remarkably inhibitted in all groups, but especially in group III.
11. The changes at the thyroid glands due to thyroid preparation were controlled by the Vitamin C in the group I ; the changes at the adrenal glands in group I were remarkably inhibitted by the Vitamin, but not so remarkably in the other two groups; no remarkable inhibition by the Vitamin was seen in the testicle.
Resume : The Vitamin C is effective in the exprimental hyperthyroidism.
(author's abstract)

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