title: Hypocholesterolemic effect of ascorbic acid in maturity-onset diabetes mellitus.
abstract: A significantly lower vitamin C concentration has been found in the blood and particularly in the leukocytes of hypercholesterolemic diabetic patients than of healthy blood donors. Ascorbic acid administered in a dose of 500 mg per day for 12 months to metabolically stabilized hypercholesterolemic subjects with maturity-onset diabetes mellitus (diabetic diet without insulin or diabetic drugs) brought about a striking decline of cholesterolemia and a moderate decline of triglyceridemia. The serum lipid level in the control group given placebo remained unaltered. A daily administration of 500 mg of ascorbic acid for six months failed to affect the fasting level of serum immunoreactive insulin. It is assumed that the long-term administration of ascorbic acid to maturity-onset diabetics removed the tissue ascorbate deficiency and improved the liver ability to compensate the increased endogenous synthesis of cholesterol by its enhanced transformation to bile acids.
mesh_terms: D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001206:Ascorbic Acid Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D001205:Ascorbic Acid