Ascorbic acid excretion

Fifi. 1. Barbital stimulation of ascorbic acid excretion in the rat and its suppression by ethionine. This suggests the formation of new enzyme. From Touster et al. (TIO). 

At the conclusion of the Medical Research Council study, saturation tests were done on the subjects with long histories of accurately known ascorbic acid intakes. More than three daily test doses (10 mg/kg body weight) were necessary before a sharp rise occurred in urinary ascorbic acid excretion of subjects who had been receiving 20 mg/day or less, but again no distinction could be made in this way between the deficient and the protected individuals receiving the lower amounts. 

H6. Harris, A. B., Hartley, J., and Moor, A., Reduced ascorbic acid excretion and oral contraceptives. Lancet 1,201-202 1973). 

The increased urinary PBG produced by rats after AIA administration was found to be enhanced by fasting and decreased by a carbohydrate diet [Rose et al.. 111]. DeMatteis [77] later found that the porphyria induced by AIA in rats could be completely suppressed by feeding glucose frequently, at a high level. The induced porphyria also caused a marked increase in ascorbic acid excretion, which, however, was not overcome by glucose. Actinomycin blocked the synthesis of ALA in rats treated with AIA but did not affect ascorbic acid production. 

Uronic acids are biosynthetic intermediates m various metabolic processes ascorbic acid (vitamin C) for example is biosynthesized by way of glucuronic acid Many metabolic waste products are excreted m the urine as their glucuronate salts... 

Of the water-soluble vitamins, intakes of nicotinic acid [59-67-6] on the order of 10 to 30 times the recommended daily allowance (RE)A) have been shown to cause flushing, headache, nausea, and moderate lowering of semm cholesterol with concurrent increases in semm glucose. Toxic levels of foHc acid [59-30-3] are ca 20 mg/d in infants, and probably approach 400 mg/d in adults. The body seems able to tolerate very large intakes of ascorbic acid [50-81-7] (vitamin C) without iH effect, but levels in excess of 9 g/d have been reported to cause increases in urinary oxaHc acid excretion. Urinary and blood uric acid also rise as a result of high intakes of ascorbic acid, and these factors may increase the tendency for formation of kidney or bladder stones. AH other water-soluble vitamins possess an even wider margin of safety and present no practical problem (82). 

Absorption, Transport, and Excretion. The vitamin is absorbed through the mouth, the stomach, and predominantly through the distal portion of the small intestine, and hence, penetrates into the bloodstream. Ascorbic acid is widely distributed to the cells of the body and is mainly present in the white blood cells (leukocytes). The ascorbic acid concentration in these cells is about 150 times its concentration in the plasma (150,151). Dehydroascorbic acid is the main form in the red blood cells (erythrocytes). White blood cells are involved in the destmction of bacteria. 

Ascorbic acid is very soluble in water and mainly excreted in the urine. No ascorbic acid is excreted during vitamin C deficiency. A minimum amount is lost in the feces, even after intake of gram dosages (154). 

Fig. 10 Urinary excretion of riboflavin (A, B) and ascorbic acid (C, D) in humans as a function of oral dose. Graphs A and C illustrate the nonlinear dependence of absorption on dose, which is suggestive of a saturable specialized absorption process. Graphs B and D represent an alternative graph of the same data and illustrate the reduced absorption efficiency as the dose increases. (Graphs A and C based on data in Ref. 39 and graphs B and D based on data in Ref. 40.)...

Biosyntheses of hexuronic acids and L-ascorbic acid in plants and animals are closely related. Hexuronic acids, L-ascorbic acid, and L-tartaric acid (a possible precursor of dihydroxyfumaric acid) commonly occur together in plants. If a rat is given chloretone (an antispasmodic), both L-ascorbic acid and D-glucuronic acid are excreted in increased quantity.244 Unlike humans, rats can synthesize their own vitamin C, and are therefore independent of outside sources. Here, D-glucose and D-galactose can be utilized, but not D-mannose. 

Chromium compounds interact synergistically or antagonistically with many chemicals. For example, potassium dichromate administered by subcutaneous injection potentiated the effects of mercuric chloride, citrinin, and hexachloro-1,3-butadiene on rat kidneys (USPHS 1993). Chromium effects were lessened by ascorbic acid and Vitamin E, and N-acetyl cysteine was effective in increasing urinary excretion of chromium in rats (USPHS 1993)... 

Lactation Ascorbic acid is excreted in breast milk. 

Oral absorption of ascorbic acid is via an energy-dependent process that is saturable and dose-dependent. Ascorbic acid is stored in the body. Excessive amounts of consumed vitamin C, i.e. if daily intake surpasses 100 mg, are rapidly excreted in the urine. 

Mega vitamin intake of vitamin C may result in diarrhea due to intestinal irritation. Since ascorbic acid is partially metabolized and excreted as oxalate, renal oxalate stones may form in some patients. 

Oral contraceptives decrease the plasma levels of ascorbic acid. Aspirin also decreases tissue levels of vitamin C. The renal excretion of acidic and basic drugs may be altered when they are coadministered with large doses of vitamin C. 

The risk of tachycardia, hypertension, and cardiotoxicity is increased with coadministration of dronabinol (an antiemetic) and dextroamphetamine. In addition, administration of dextroamphetamine with MAOIs may increase the risk of hypertensive crisis. Al-kalinizing agents can speed absorption (e.g., antacids) or delay urinary excretion (e.g., acetazolamide, thiazide diuretics) of dextroamphetamine, thus potentiating its effects. Gastric or urinary acidifying agents (e.g., ascorbic acid, ammonium chloride) can decrease the effects of dextroamphetamine. Propoxyphene overdose can potentiate amphetamine central nervous system stimulation, potentially resulting in fatal convulsions. 

Methenamine mandelate is a salt of mandelic acid and methenamine and both of these possess property of urinary antiseptic. It is rapidly absorbed in gastrointestinal tract and excreted unchanged in urine, where it broken down in acidic pH (< 5) of urine and formaldehyde is released, which inhibits most of the bacteria. It is administered with sodium biphosphate, mandelic acid or ascorbic acid to keep the urinary pH below 6. Its use is restricted to chronic, resistant type of UTI. 

Vitamins are chemically unrelated organic compounds that cannot be synthesized by humans and, therefore, must must be supplied by the diet. Nine vitamins (folic acid, cobalamin, ascorbic acid, pyridoxine, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, biotin, and pantothenic acid) are classified as water-soluble, whereas four vitamins (vitamins A, D, K, and E) are termed fat-soluble (Figure 28.1). Vitamins are required to perform specific cellular functions, for example, many of the water-soluble vitamins are precursors of coenzymes for the enzymes of intermediary metabolism. In contrast to the water-soluble vitamins, only one fat soluble vitamin (vitamin K) has a coenzyme function. These vitamins are released, absorbed, and transported with the fat of the diet. They are not readily excreted in the urine, and significant quantities are stored in Die liver and adipose tissue. In fact, consumption of vitamins A and D in exoess of the recommended dietary allowances can lead to accumulation of toxic quantities of these compounds. 

To enhance iron excretion, intensive chelation therapy is used. The most successful drug is desferrioxamine B, a powerful Fe3+-chelator produced by the microbe Streptomyces pilosus,6 The formation constant for the Fe(III) complex, called ferrioxamine B, is 103afi. Used in conjunction with ascorbic acid—vitamin C, a reducing agent that reduces Fe3+ to the more soluble Fe2+— desferrioxamine clears several grams of iron per year from an overloaded patient. The ferrioxamine complex is excreted in the urine. 

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