Ascorbic acid in cholesterol and bile acid metabolism.

Latent chronic ascorbic acid deficiency provokes in guinea pigs a metabolic disorder in the liver, causing an impaired cholesterol transformation to its principal catabolic product, bile acids. This metabolic disorder induces hypercholesterolemia and accumulation of cholesterol in the liver and slows the release of cholesterol from the circulation. Ascorbic acid probably intervenes into the biosynthesis of bile acids at the stage of 7 alpha-hydroxylation of the cholesterol nucleus. High doses of ascorbic acid significantly stimulate cholesterol transformation to bile acids in guinea pigs and decrease plasma cholesterol concentration in humans.