Fatty Infiltration of Liver in Spontaneously Ketotic Dairy Cows

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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to ascertain fatty infiltration of the liver in spontaneously ketotic cows and the most appropriate blood components to aid the diagnosis of ketotic fatty liver. Liver biopsies and blood samples were obtained under field conditions. Cows were divided into 3 groups (healthy, mildly ketotic and severely ketotic) by their blood ketone body concentrations. Severely ketotic cows had a greater percent fat in the liver than healthy cows. The mildly ketotic group fell between the other 2 groups and was significantly different from only the severely ketotic group. There was a positive correlation between fatty infiltration and blood ketone body concentrations, but a negative correlation with glucose concentrations. Liver-specific enzymes were positively correlated with fatty infiltration. Only ornithine carbamoyltransferase and iditol (sorbitol) dehydrogenase could be used to separate healthy cows from those with severe ketosis. The best equation to explain the variation of percent fat in the liver included the concentration of .beta.-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and the logarithm of ornithine carbamoyltransferase concentration (Log-OCT). Although this equation explained 39.5% of the variation, it could not be used to reliably predict the percent fat in the liver. Liver biopsy still seems to be the only reliable method of measuring fatty infiltration in the liver.

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