ASCORBIC ACID CONTENT OF ADRENAL AND LIVER IN CYNOMOLGUS MONKEYS SUFFERING FROM BACILLARY DYSENTERY

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Adrenal ascorbic acid content regarded as an indication of adrenocortical activity was determined in order to find if there is any relationship between Shigella infection and the adrenocortical function in cynomolgus monkeys that were suffering either naturally or experimentally from bacillary dysentery.
In the monkeys which died from natural dysentery, the average adrenal ascorbic acid content was about 60% lower than that in control healthy animals. In experimentally dysentery-infected monkeys sacrificed 3-4 days after oral administration of Shigella flexneri 2 a, namely at the peak of disease, the average adrenal ascorbic acid content decreased to about 55% of the normal control, and the content returned to its normal value 6-8 days after the infection coinciding with the ensuing of convalescence in apparent symptomatology of experimental dysentery.
The average liver ascorbic acid level was shown to rise markedly above the healthy control 3-4 days after the experimental infection with Shigella flexneri 2 a, whereas the level was almost equal to that of control monkeys 6-8 days and 13-15 days after the infection.
These results seem to prompt further studies to scrutinize the possible involvement of adrenocortical function in the course of Shigella infection in cynomolgus monkeys.