Ascorbic Acid Metabolism in Rats

1. The effect ofdietary molybdenum on the growth rate and also on ascorbic acid metabolism in rats was studied. An excess of dietary molybdenum resulted in growth retardation and loss of weight. Tolerance to molybdenum was affected by the nature ofthe molybdenum salt administered. 2. Molybdenum ingestion altered certain aspects of ascorbic acid metabolism in rats. The conversion ofD-glucuronolactone into L-ascorbic acid in vitro and the oxidative breakdown of L-ascorbic acid by liver enzymes decreased with high molybdenum intakes. The activity of liver uronolactonase was slightly inhibited. The activities of L-gulonate dehydrogenase and L-gulonate decarboxylase were not affected appreciably. 3. Molybdenum supplementation of the control diet resulted in an increase in ascorbic acid content of spleen and adrenal gland, and in a marked decrease in the urinary excretion of ascorbic acid and glucuronic acid. The implications of these findings are discussed.