Changes in lipid content of the blood and liver of cows in peripartal period

Abstract

Free fat acids, total lipids, triglycerides contained in the blood and, hystological changes in the liver of the healthy and ketotic cows in their peripartal period, were studied. Considerably higher content of the free fat acids in the blood serum of ketotic cows indicates a far more expressed tendency of mobilizing fats from the body depos in these cows than it happens with healthy ones. Thus, such a high level of lipo-mobilization may be one of the crucial mechanisms responsible for the occurrence of fat infiltration and liver cell degeneration. This is also manifested by a significantly positive correlation existing between the concentrations of free fat acids in the blood and those of fats in the liver (r=0.51).

Fairly reduced concentrations of triglycerides in the blood of ketotic cows suggest their accumulation in the liver cells. Thus, the existence of the negative correlation between the content of triglycerides in the blood and that of fats in the liver (r=0.55). Namely, investigations indicated that ketotic cows had a differing degree of fat liver, whereas no sign of liver fatness could be seen in the healthy cows neither before nor after calving.