Metabolic profiles in dairy cows with fatty liver syndrome

Bioptic liver samples collected from thirty-six dairy cows in the herd of Black Pied Lowland cattle were tested histologically for fat content and the results were used to divide them into Group S with fatty liver syndrome (n = 21) and physiological Group N (n = 15). Simultaneously with the biopsies, blood samples were collected for biochemical examination. Significant (p < 0.05) differences between the groups S and N were found for the concentrations of oxidised ketone bodies (0.14 +/- 0.10 vs. 0.32 +/- 0.26 mmol.l(-1)), haemoglobin (127.33 +/- 14.19 vs. 116.25 +/- 15.22 g.l(-1)) and erythrocyte counts (6.71 +/- 0.63 vs. 6.26 +/- 0.64 T.l(-1)); significant (p < 0.01) differences were also found for the concentrations of glucose (3.83 +/- 0.67 vs. 3.19 +/- 0.67), total ketone bodies (1.16 +/- 0.38 vs. 2.94 +/- 2.34 mmol.l(-1)), nonesterified fatty acids (0.23 +/- 0.22 vs. 0.60 +/- 0.32 mmol.l(-1)), total bilirubin (3.22 +/- 1.51 vs. 6.21 +/- 2.62 pmol.l(-1)) and the activities of aspartate aminotransferase (1.15 +/- 0.15 vs. 1.61 +/- 0.44 mukat.l(-1)) as well as alanine aminotransferase (0.70 +/- 0.20 vs. 0.46 +/- 0.15 mukat.l(-1)). The relevance of biochemical indicators to timely diagnostics of fatty liver syndrome and determination of severity of metabolic disturbances is discussed.