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Published on: October 21, 2017
Clinical and pathological studies in cattle with hepatic disease
1Department of Veterinary Clinical Science and Animal Husbandry, University of Liverpool Veterinary Field Station, Neston, South Wirral, UK.
Veterinary Research Communications
|April 1, 1997
Summary
This study monitored cattle with liver disease using blood tests and liver biopsies. Elevated plasma ammonia and specific ratios indicated a poor prognosis for hepatic encephalopathy in cattle.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Hepatology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Hepatic diseases in cattle present with varied etiologies, including hepatic lipidosis, abscessation, leptospirosis, biliary calculi, and fasciolosis.
- Consistent clinical signs across different hepatic diseases include weight loss, anorexia, dullness, and depression.
- Hepatic encephalopathy signs like blindness and ataxia, along with jaundice and pyrexia, are grave prognostic indicators.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the progression of hepatic diseases in cattle.
- To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of serum and plasma biochemical markers.
- To explore the role of plasma ammonia, urea, glucose, and ketone bodies in hepatic coma pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Serial measurements of serum total bile acids and plasma enzyme activities (glutamate dehydrogenase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, 5'-nucleotidase, leucine aminopeptidase).
- Liver biopsy for histopathological assessment.
- Measurement of plasma ammonia, urea, glucose, and total ketone bodies.
Main Results:
- Plasma ammonia concentrations were significantly elevated in cattle with hepatic disease compared to healthy controls.
- Specific plasma ammonia:urea (>30:1) and ammonia:glucose (>40:1) ratios, especially with rising ketone bodies and falling glucose, indicated a guarded prognosis.
- Changes in plasma ammonia levels did not always correlate with plasma urea concentrations.
Conclusions:
- Biochemical markers, particularly plasma ammonia ratios, are valuable for assessing prognosis in cattle with hepatic disease.
- Hepatic encephalopathy in cattle may involve complexPathophysiological factors beyond ammonia toxicity, including electrolyte imbalances and neurotransmitter alterations.
- Early identification of prognostic indicators through biochemical monitoring aids in clinical management of bovine hepatic diseases.
