Vitamin C deficiency in guinea pigs: changes in urinary excretion of proline, hydroxyproline and total amino nitrogen

1. The age-related decrease in hydroxyproline : creatinine ratio in young guinea pigs was significantly smaller in vitamin C-deficient animals than in pair-fed controls. The same was true for proline : creatinine and total amino nitrogen : creatinine ratios, but hydroxyproline : total amino nitrogen and proline : total amino nitrogen ratios were not significantly affected by deficiency. 2. Although the proline : hydroxyproline ratio was unaffected in unfractionated urine, acute or chronic deficiency produced a small but significant increase in this ratio in collagenase digests of the acetone-insoluble fraction. 3. In scorbutic animals, therefore, collagen probably turns over more rapidly than in animals matched for inanition. Some at least, of this increase could represent the rapid turnover of underhydroxylated nascent collagen. Because it contains the degradation products from collagen from many tissues, differing widely in sensitivity to vitamin C status, the urine is unlikely, however, to provide a specific and sensitive functional index of vitamin C status.