Vitamin C and vitamin E status in guinea pig tissues following estrogen administration

Previous studies reported lower tissue vitamin C levels in rats following e strogen administration. This study examined the effects of two weeks of dai ly estrogen administration (40 mu g beta-estradiol 3-benzoate per kg BW) on tissue vitamin C status in male and female guinea pigs, who unlike rats, r equire dietary vitamin C. Estrogen administration resulted in significant v itamin C loss in heart and liver from both genders and in plantaris muscle from male guinea pigs. However, estrogen administration did not affect vita min C status in female plantaris or male lung, while resulting in significa ntly elevated vitamin C level in female lung. Tissue vitamin E status was u naffected by estrogen administration in either gender. Estrogen administrat ion induced GSH loss in some tissues, indicating increased metabolic or oxi dative stress and lowered growth rates and nutrient intakes particularly in male guinea pigs. However, tissue glycogen levels were not always affected by estrogen administration. Hence while, the effects of estrogen administr ation on tissue vitamin C status may in part be due to its effect on metabo lism and nutrient intake, these factors cannot fully account for all the ef fects on tissue vitamin C status seen in this study. It is possible that es trogen administration has other tissue specific effects on vitamin C metabo lism in guinea pigs (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.