[The effect of intravenous ascorbic acid on urinary 17-hydroxysteroid excretion at an early stage of cerebral stroke].

The main symptoms of stroke such as a displacement of intracranial structures, changes in spatial relations, secondary hemorrhagic and ischemic foci, oedema and metabolic disturbances are the cause of the disorders of hypothalamus-hypophysis system leading to increased secretion of corticosteroids including 17-hydroxyketosteroids (17-OHKS). Steroidogenesis in inhibited by high concentrations of ascorbic acid. Intravenous injections of ascorbic acid 0.5 g were given to the patients with stroke and their urine was analysed daily to examine the secretion of 17-OHKS. A slight increase in 17-OHKS secretion was found on 1 and 2 days of the disease in patients suffering from TIA and a significant increase in 17-OHKS secretion was detected in patients with cerebral ischaemia (ischemic stroke) and cerebral hemorrhage and persisted for 3-4 days of the illness. One can presume that the disorders of hypothalamus-hypophysis-adrenal system contributes much more to the decrease in 17 OHKS secretion on successive days of stroke than the administration of ascorbic acid.