Uptake and release of adrenal ascorbic acid in the guinea pig after injection of ACTH

The effect of a single injection of ACTH (3 IU/100 g body weight) on the distribution of ascorbic acid (AA) and radiolabeled AA in 20 tissues was studied in adult male guinea pigs consuming 500 mg AA/kg diet. Saline- or ACTH-injected animals were simultaneously injected with [1-14C]AA, and killed at 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 6 h after injection. There was no significant difference between treatments in the weight of any tissue over the 6-h experimental period. As anticipated, the concentration of AA in the adrenals of animals injected with ACTH was 33% of that of animals injected with saline at 4 h. Unexpectedly, the concentration of radiolabeled AA in the adrenals at 0.5 h after ACTH injection was 172% of that after saline injection. The concentration of radiolabeled AA in the adrenal of the saline-injected animals increased slowly over time to reach a level similar to that of ACTH-injected animals by 6 h. There was no effect of ACTH on the level of AA or uptake in any of the other tissues examined. These results demonstrate that a single dose of ACTH markedly influences the retention of AA in the adrenal gland without similarly altering retention of AA in other tissues. Furthermore, ACTH treatment causes both accelerated uptake and release of AA into the adrenals.