[Liver diseases and their relationship to forestomach function in highly productive cows]

Studied were 12 cows with protracted, recurrent acidosis of the rumen, 4 cows with alkalosis, and 2 calves with experimental acidosis, following up the changes in the rumen content and their impact on the liver. The diseased animals were investigated both clinically and by laboratory tests with regard to alkaline phosphatase, plasma cholinesterase, SGOT, SGPT, alkali reserves, bilirubin, blood sugar, protein function of the liver (flocculation tests), biopsy of the liver, urine pH, urobilinogen, sedimentation test and ketone bodies, rumen pH, rumen infusoria, glucose-fermenting and cellulose-digesting activity, breakdown of nitrates, butyric acid, and ammonia gas. It was found that recurrent physiologic deviations of the rumen content play an essential pathogenetic role in liver injury. The more substantial and continuous the deviations the more severe the liver diseases. Studies revealed that along with other factors the recurrent acidosis and alkalosis of the rumen content could be claimed to be an immediate cause of the liver diseases in high producing cows. Histologically, the liver of cows with slightly expressed acidosis of the rumen showed granular degeneration, and of cows with protracted acidosis--fatty degeneration, activation of the reticulo-endothelial system, and leukocytes in the capillar sinusoids. Liver biopsy in the case of experimental acidosis demonstrated also decrease in the glycogen content of the hepatocytes.