Glucose and Insulin Responses to Glucagon Injection in Dairy Cows with Ketotis and Fatty Live

Abstract

Summary The purpose of this investigation was to study the metabolic situation in clinical cases of bovine ketosis and to diagnose additional diseases. Extensive clinical examination, clinical biochemistry, haematology and fine‐needle aspiration biopsy Of liver was performed on 17 ketotic and eight control dairy cows in the field, and on seven hospitalized hyperketonaemic fatty liver patients. Additional findings in the ketotic group were heat (n = 7), indigestion (n = 5), endometritis (n = 2), cystic ovaries (n = 1), and mastitis (n = 1), and in the fatty liver group displaced abomasum (n = 4), abomasal ulcers (n = 3), mastitis (n = 2), laminitis (n = 1), bronchopneumonia (n = 1), and hypomagnesaemia (n = 2). There were no additional findings in the control group. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatine kinase (CK) were elevated in the ketosis and fatty liver groups. Total bilirubin, gamma‐glutamyl transferase (GGT) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GD) were elevated in the fatty liver group and in some animals in the ketosis group. Total bile acid was not different between the groups. The free fatty acid/cholesterol ratio was higher in the fatty liver group compared with the control and ketosis groups. There was no or only slight fatty degeneration of the liver cells in the control and ketosis groups. Glucose and insulin preinjection concentrations and changes from basal values after glucagon injection were significantly lower in the ketosis group if compared with the control group. The responses in the fatty liver animals after glucagon injection were more heterogeneous than in the control and ketosis animals, a sign of disturbance in the metabolic adaptation, which together with high free fatty acid (FFA) levels can lead to fatty liver in cows with concurrent diseases.

Critical thresholds of liver function parameters for ketosis prediction in dairy cows using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis

“…When liver cell membranes are impaired or liver cell necrosis occurs, most of these enzymes are released into the blood. Assay of enzyme activity in plasma or serum can demonstrate the degree of damage to hepatic cells (Steen et al 1997). Among clinical enzyme tests, AST and ALT may be used to investigate the type and degree of damage to liver cells.…”

“…When liver cell membranes are impaired or liver cell necrosis occurs, these enzymes are released into the blood. Therefore, assay of enzyme activity in plasma or serum can predict the degree of exposure in hepatic cells (Steen et al 1997). ALT is the most sensitive target in the detection of acute liver damage and AST is a more sensitive indicator of the degree of exacerbated liver damage.…”

Interrelationships of growth hormone AluI polymorphism, insulinresistance, milk production and reproductive performance in Holstein-Friesian cos

“…Hyperketonemia has been previously reported to interfere with insulin resistance. Depressed pancreatic insulin secretion following ivGTT and lower glucose and insulin clearance rates have been shown by several authors (Hove, 1978;Sakai et al, 1993Sakai et al, , 1996Samanc et al, 1996;Steen et al, 1997). Therefore, we further modified the RQUICKI adding basal plasma concentration of β-hydroxybutyrate into the equation, which then became RQUICKI BHB = 1/[log(conc.t 0 glucose) + log(conc.t 0 insulin) + log(conc.t 0 NEFA) + log(conc.t 0 BHB)].…”

Factors affecting dry matter intake prepartum in relationship to etiology of peripartum lipid-related metabolic disorders: A review

“…During late gestation and early lactation, flow of nutrients to fetus and mammary tissues is accorded a high degree of metabolic priority (Baird 1981). This priority coincides with lowered responsiveness and sensitivity of extrahepatic tissues to insulin (Kronfeld 1982;Sano et al 1991Sano et al , 1993Nieuwenhuizen et al 1997Nieuwenhuizen et al , 1998, which presumably plays a key role in development of hepatic lipidosis and ketosis (Holstenius 1993;Steen et al 1997). In a recent study by Holtenius et al (2003), it was reported that plasma glucose disappearance rate, thereby effectiveness and concentration of insulin, was related to feeding regimen offered during the prefresh transition period of cows fed to consume 6, 9, and 14.5 kg DM.…”