Vitamin C and immunosuppression.
Large daily doses of vitamin C resulted in severe lymphocytopenia in stressed mice. A characteristic biochemical expression of stress is an abrupt increase in adrenal corticosteroids in blood plasma which is always preceeded by a release of vitamin C by the adrenals. It is hypothesized that large doses of vitamin C maintain high levels of plasma corticosteroids which inturn may reduce the organism's immune response when stress is present.
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects*; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008231:Lymphopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D001205:Ascorbic Acid