Prevention of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) by vitamin C deprivation.

Scorbutic guinea pigs injected with CNS and mycobacterium to induce experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) showed no clear-cut neurological signs and failed to show histological evidence of central nervous system damage. The degree of protection afforded by vitamin C deprivation was related directly to the duration of the scorbutogenic diet and inversely to the strength of the CNS challenge. Vitamin C deprivation also abolished tuberculin sensitivity as measured by the PPD skin reaction. Upon restoration of vitamin C, the animals recovered their sensitivity to PPD but did not develop EAE. It was further demonstrated that these effects of vitamin C deprivation were not related to inanition or to the endogenous levels of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids.