Table Of ContentSubcellular
Biochemistry
25
Volume
Ascorbic Acid: Biochemistry
and Biomedical Cell Biology
SUBCELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY
SERIES EDITOR
J. ROBIN HARRIS, Institute of Zoology, University of Mainz, Mainz, Gennany
ASSISTANT EDITORS
H. J. HILDERSON, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
B. B. BISW AS, Bose Institute, Calcutta, India
Recent Volumes in This Series:
Volume 16 Intracellular Transfer of Lipid Molecules
Edited by H. 1. Hilderson
Volume 17 Plant Genetic Engineering
Edited by B. B. Biswas and 1. R. Harris
Volume 18 Intracellular Parasites
Edited by 1. L. Avila and J. R. Harris
Volume 19 Endocytic Components: Identification and Characterization
Edited by 1. 1. M. Bergeron and 1. R. Harris
Volume 20 Mycoplasma Cell Membranes
Edited by S. Rottem and I. Kahane
Volume 21 Endoplasmic Reticulum
Edited by N. Borgese and J. R. Harris
Volume 22 Membrane Biogenesis
Edited by A. H. Maddy and J. R. Harris
Volume 23 Physicochemical Methods in the Study of Biomembranes
Edited by Herwig 1. Hilderson and Gregory B. Ralston
Volume 24 Proteins: Structure, Function, and Engineering
Edited by B. B. Biswas and Siddhartha Roy
Volume 25 Ascorbic Acid: Biochemistry and Biomedical Cell Biology
Edited by J. Robin Harris
A Continuation Order Plan is available for this series. A continuation order will bring delivery
of each new volume immediately upon publication. Volumes are billed only upon actual
shipment. For further information please contact the publisher.
Subcellular
Biochemistry
25
Volume
Ascorbic Acid: Biochemistry
and Biomedical Cell Biology
Edited by
J. Robin Harris
Institute of Zoology
University of Mainz
Mainz, Germany
PLENUM PRESS • NEW YORK AND LONDON
The Library of Congress cataloged the first volume of this title as follows:
Sub-cellular biochemistry.
London, New York, Plenum Press.
v. illus. 23 cm. quarterly.
Began with Sept. 1971 issue. Cf. New serial titles.
1. Cytochemistry-Periodicals. 2. Cell organelles-Periodicals.
QH611.S84 574.8'76 73-643479
ISSN 0306-0225
ISBN-13: 978-1-4613-7998-0 e-ISBN-13: 978-1-4613-0325-1
001 10.1007/978-1-4613-0325-1
This series is a continuation of the journal Sub-Cellular Biochemistry,
Volumes 1 to 4 of which were published quarterly from 1972 to 1975
© 1996 Plenum Press, New York
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1996
A Division of Plenum Publishing Corporation
233 Spring Street, New York, N.Y. 10013
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise,
without written permission from the Publisher
INTERNA TIONAL ADVISORY EDITORIAL BOARD
J. L. AVILA, Instituto de Biomedicina, Caracas, Venezuela
R. BITTMAN, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
N. BORG ESE, CNR Center for Cytopharmacology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
M. J. COSTELLO, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
A.-H. ETEMAD!, University of Paris VI, Paris, France
W. H. EVANS, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales
P. L. J0RGENSEN, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
J. B. LLOYD, Alfred I. duPont Institute, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
A. H. MADDY, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
J. D. MORRE, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
P. QUINN, King's College London, London, England
G. RALSTON, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
S. ROTTEM, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
M. R. J. SALTON, New York University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
G. SCHATTEN, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
I. B. ZBARSKY, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Contributors
Gustavo Barja Department of Animal Biology-II (Animal Physiology), Faculty
of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid 28040, Spain
G. Bergamini Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of General Pa-
thology, University of Modena, Via Campi 287, 41100 Modena, Italy
Heiner Boeing German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbriicke,
Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, D-14558 Bergholz-Rehbriicke, Germany
Regina Brigelius-Flohe German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-
Rehbriicke, Arthur-Scheunert -Allee 114-116, D-14558 Bergholz-Rehbriicke,
Germany
Francisco Cordoba Departamento de Biologfa Celular, Facultad de Ciencias,
Universidad de Cordoba, E-14004 Cordoba, Spain; permanent address: Depar
tamento de Ciencias Agroforestales, Universidad de Huelva, Spain
Nicholas A. Delamere Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School
of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky 40292
I. Elmadfa Institute of Nutrition, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14,
A-I090 Vienna, Austria
Leopold Flohe Gesellschaft fUr Biotechnologische Forschung (GBF), Braun-
schweig, Germany
Balz Frei Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Boston University School of
Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118-2394
J. Michael Gaziano Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hos-
pital, Boston, Massachusetts 02215-1204
vii
viii Contributors
Steve Harakeh Virology and Immunodeficiency Research Program, Linus
Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine, Palo Alto, California 94306
Kiyotaka Hitomi Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Faculty of Agri-
cultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-01, Japan
David F. Horrobin Scotia Pharmaceuticals, Woodbridge Meadows, Guildford,
Surrey GUl IBA, England
James V. Hunt Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cam-
bridge CB2 lQP, England
Robert A. Jacob U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Ser-
vice, The Presidio at San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94129
Raxit J. Jariwalla Virology and Immunodeficiency Research Program, Linus
Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine, Palo Alto, California 94306
Carol S. Johnston Department of Family Resources and Human Development,
Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-2502
Hiroshi Katsuki Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Phar-
maceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan
P. C. Kesavan School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New
Delhi-l10067, India; present address: Biosciences Group, Bhabha Atomic
Research Centre, Bombay-400085, India
J. Koenig Institute of Nutrition, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14,
A-I090 Vienna, Austria
Sean M. Lynch Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Boston University School
of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118-2394
Gert S. Maritz Department of Physiological Sciences, University of the West-
ern Cape, 7535 Bellville, South Africa
Phicido Navas Departamento de Biologfa Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Uni-
versidad de Cordoba, E-14004 Cordoba, Spain
Morimitsu Nishikimi Institute of Applied Biochemistry, Yagi Memorial Park,
Mitake, Gifu 505-01, Japan
D. Quaglino, Jr. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of General
Pathology, University of Modena, Via Campi 287, 41100 Modena, Italy
Erik Rausch Institute of Public Health, Technical University of Berlin, Hard-
enbergstrasse 10, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
Ivonne Pasquali Ronchetti Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of
General Pathology, University of Modena, Via Campi 287, 41100 Modena,
Italy
Contributors ix
Lakshmi Sarma School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New
Delhi-l 10067 , India
Joel L. Schwartz Division of Molecular Epidemiology and Oral Disease Indi-
cators, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health,
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
Gerald Shklar Department of Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Har-
vard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
Norihiro Tsukagoshi Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Faculty of
Agricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-01, Japan
Jose M. Villalba Departamento de Biologfa Celular, Facultad de Ciencias,
Universidad de Cordoba, E-14004 Cordoba, Spain
KURio Vagi Institute of Applied Biochemistry, Yagi Memorial Park, Mitake,
Gifu 505-01, Japan
Foreword
The consequence of a deficiency of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is scurvy. The earliest
account of scurvy was perhaps written by the Egyptians in the Papyrus Elbers about
1550 B.C. For centuries, scurvy was a scourge of navies, armies, and explorers. The
first appearance of the term "scurvy" in an English publication was in 1589 in the
records of Richard Hakluyt. Another 344 years passed before the antiscorbutic
factor (vitamin C) was isolated, characterized, and synthesized. In 1933, Haworth
and Szent-Gyorgyi coined the name "L-ascorbic acid" to reflect the antiscorbutic
properties of the vitamin.
However, only during the past 25 years have the numerous biological functions
of ascorbic acid become realized. It has long been recognized that ascorbic acid has
a primary role in the formation of collagen. However, only more recently has its
specific function in collagen synthesis been elucidated. Consequently, the role of
ascorbic acid in wound healing and in the formation and maintenance of cartilage,
bones, teeth, gums, muscles, muscular tissue, and skin is now appreciated.
The wide range of biochemical involvement of ascorbic acid becomes quite
apparent from the titles of the 19 chapters of this book. Ascorbic acid participates in
virtually every system in the body to assist in the maintenance of health.
Very fundamental involvements of ascorbic acid have been presented, such as
its role in the regulation of gene expression or in cell growth and tissue culture. For
example, the effects of ascorbic acid on the expression of type I and X collagen
genes have been considered. Interactions between ascorbic acid and other redox
active micronutrients (vitamin E and selenium) have been discussed. An under
standing of the fundamental roles of ascorbic acid will provide a rationale for the
biomedical implications of this essential nutrient.
Interest in the role of ascorbic acid in the immune system was spurred by its
possible action against the common cold. It is generally recognized that the activity
of leukocytes is enhanced by ascorbic acid. A chapter is devoted to the inhibition of
viral infectivity by ascorbic acid.
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