Effect on liver function of acetonaemia and the fat cow syndrome in cattle

The effect of fatty infiltration on liver function was studied in 29 dairy cows aged 6 +/- 0.4 (SEM) years with primary acetonaemia, secondary acetonaemia or the fat cow syndrome. The average interval from calving at diagnosis was 16.4 +/- 2.0 days and the animals had been anorexic for a mean of 5.6 +/- 0.8 days. Fatty infiltration of the liver occurred well before calving and was associated with severe clinical illness and intercurrent infections. The percentage of fatty infiltration in the liver (mean 53.1 +/- 2.8 per cent) was significantly correlated with both the degree of clinical illness (P less than 0.001) and the period of anorexia (P less than 0.05). Alterations in uptake, conjugation and excretion at the hepatocyte level were determined by measuring bromsulphthalein clearance, and plasma total bilirubin and total bile acid concentrations. Values for all three were positively correlated with the extent of fatty infiltration. Plasma albumin, urea and glucose concentrations were reliable indicators of the liver's synthetic function and together with plasma aspartate aminotransferase, iditol and glutamate dehydrogenase were correlated with the degree of hepatic lipidosis.