ABSTRACT
The most notable and definite are the changes occurring in the adrenals and ovaries when stimulated by their respective pituitary hormones; the testes almost certainly respond in a similar manner, but have not been studied so extensively. The relationships of Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone (ACTH) and cortisone to ascorbic acid metabolism are discussed more fully in the section on stress and the effects of luteinizing hormone (LH) and human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) on ovarian ascorbic acid metabolism are to be found in more detail in the section on the menstrual cycle and ovulation. Rheumatoid arthritis itself may be associated with a disturbance of ascorbic acid metabolism even before ACTH treatment is commenced. Administration of thyroxine in moderate dosage, for 2 weeks, increased hypersensitivity, while daily injections of cortisone or ACTH diminished it. Similarly, increased incidences of cardiovascular disease, deep-vein thrombosis, and embolism have been observed in women taking the original 100-µg daily dose of mestranol in the combined birth control pills.
