The current response of L-ascorbic acid at an ascorbate-oxidase membrane electrode (detecting the decrease of oxygen) has been amplified by adding dithiothreithol into the sample solution. The signal amplification is based on the cyclic reaction between L-ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid, which leads to the regeneration of L-ascorbic acid. The amplification factor was increased up to 22.5 (at pH -7.5) when 5 x 10(-3) M dithiothreithol solution was used. This amplification system enables the determination of not only L-ascorbic acid but dehydroascorbic acid, and the detection limit for vitamin C was found to be 2 X 10(-7) M.