THE CONTENT OF ASCORBIC-ACID IN THE PLASM A AND IN 14 TISSUES OF LAMBS OF DIFFERENT AGE AT NORMAL AND AT FOR A TIME RESTRICTIVE FEEDING DURING THE SUCKLING PERIOD

In normally fed lambs (group 1) the content of ascorbic acid (AA) in t he plasma on day 8, 18, 28, 38, 48, 60 and 100 after birth was the sam e as in lambs, that were fed on days 8 to 17 (group 2), 8 to 26 (group 3) and 8 to 35 (group 4) on the maintenance level. The restrictive fe eding induced for a certain time a decrease in the glucose content of the plasma. In the lambs of group 2 and 3 there was no differences in the content of AA in 14 tissues compared to group 1. In the lambs of g roup 4 the body weight on the 35th day was only 54 and the mass of the hypophysis 60, of the lung 55,9, of the liver 51, of the heart 47,2, of the spleen 44,7 and of the kidney 38 % of that of group 1; there wa s a tendency to a lower content of AA in most tissues. With increasing age the content of AA in the cerebrum, in the cerebellum, in the brai n stem and in the testicles decreased; the highest content in the hypo physis was determined on day 180. The regulation of the synthesis of A A in the liver under normal and pathological conditions is discussed.