Corticosterone implants and supplemental dietary ascorbic acid effects on lipid metabolism in broiler chicks

Male broiler chicks were fed diets containing either 0 or 300 ppm ascorbic acid from hatch to 49 days of age. At 35 days of age, chicks were implanted with 50 mg of corticosterone to study a possible interaction between dietary ascorbic acid and corticosterone on body, liver, adrenal, and abdominal fat pad weights. In vitro lipogenesis was determined from the incorporation of 20 mM [2-14C] sodium acetate into hepatic lipids during a 2-h incubation at 37 C. The corticosterone implants increased (P less than .05) liver and abdominal fat pad weights and in vitro lipogenesis but decreased (P less than .05) body and adrenal weights. Dietary ascorbic acid had little affect upon these traits.