The effect of low and high doses of ascorbic acid on glycosaminoglycan and lipid metabolism was studied in guinea pigs fed both normal and atherogenic diets. The high dose of ascorbic acid (25 mg/100 g body weight/day) decreased the cholesterol level in the liver and aorta but not in the serum in animals fed the normal diet in comparison with those fed the low dose of ascorbic acid (0.1 mg/100 g body weight/day). In animals fed the atherogenic diet, cholesterol decreased in the serum and liver, but not in the aorta. Serum triglycerides were not affected by the dose of ascorbic acid in the group on the normal diet, but in the animals receiving the atherogenic diet, the high dose of ascorbic acid caused serum triglycerides to decrease when compared with the low dose. Hepatic and aortic triglycerides decreased in groups on normal and atherogenic diets receiving the high dose of ascorbic acid. Lipoprotein lipase activity was not affected in the aorta by the dose of ascorbic acid either in the normal or atherogenic diet group. It was increased in the liver and heart in both the groups receiving the low dose of ascorbic acid but decreased in the high dose group. The concentration of all the glycosaminoglycans significantly increased in the aorta of animals on normal diet receiving the high dose of ascorbic acid when compared with the low dose group. In the group on the atherogenic diet, hyaluronic acid was not affected, but all the sulphated glycosaminoglycans increased in the animals receiving the high dose when compared with those receiving the low dose. In the liver all the sulphated glycosaminoglycans increased while hyaluronic acid decreased in both the normal and atherogenic diet groups receiving the high rather than the low dose of ascorbic acid. L-Glutamine:D-fructose-6-phosphate aminotransferase and UDPG dehydrogenase, two key enzymes in the biosynthesis of precursors of glycosaminoglycans, were studied in relation to the dose of ascorbic acid. Hepatic aminotransferase activity was higher both in the normal and atherogenic diet groups when receiving the high rather than the low dose of ascorbic acid. UDPG dehydrogenase was not affected by the dose of ascorbic acid. The activities of the degrading enzymes -- hyaluronidase, beta-glucuronidase, beta-hexosaminidase and aryl sulphatase -- significantly increased both in the normal and atherogenic diet groups when receiving the low rather than the high dose of ascorbic acid. The concentration of PAPS, sulphate activity and sulphotransferase activity were all increased in both the normal and atherogenic diet groups receiving the high dose of ascorbic acid.