Effect of oestrogen and ascorbic acid on the serum ceruloplasmin level in rats

The administration of long-acting oestrogen (1 mg twice a week for 3 weeks) is followed, in rats, by an increase in the serum ceruloplasmin concentration to about 150% of the control value. The simultaneous administration of ascorbic acid in a dose of 10, 20 or 50 mg/rat/day in food raises the ceruloplasmin concentration to 180-200% of the control value (no significant difference was observed in the effect of the various doses of ascorbic acid). The increase produced by combining ascorbic acid with the oestrogen amounts to 20-30% of the value recorded in animals treated only with oestrogen. The mechanism by which ascorbic acid potentiates the effect of oestrogens on the ceruloplasmin level is not known.