GLUCOSE AND INSULIN RESPONSES TO GLUCAGON INJECTION IN DAIRY-COWS WITH KETOTIS AND FATTY LIVER

The purpose of this investigation was to study the metabolic situation in clinical cases of bovine ketosis and to diagnose additional diseas es. Extensive clinical examination, clinical biochemistry, haematology and fine-needle aspiration biopsy of liver was performed on 17 ketoti c and eight control dairy cows in the field, and on seven hospitalized hyperketonaemic fatty liver patients. Additional findings in the kero tic group were heat (n = 7), indigestion (n = 5), endometritis (n = 2) , cystic ovaries (n = 1), and mastitis (n = 1), and in the fatty liver group displaced abomasum (n = 4), abomasal ulcers (n = 3), mastitis ( n = 2), laminitis (n = 1), bronchopneumonia (n = 1), and hypomagnesaem ia (n = 2). There were no additional findings in the control group. As partate aminotransferase (AST) and creatine kinase (CK) were elevated in the ketosis and fatty liver groups. Total bilirubin, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GD) were elevated in t he fatty liver group and in some animals in thr ketosis group. Total b ile acid was not different between the groups. The free fatty acid/cho lesterol ratio was higher in the fairy liver group compared with the c ontrol and ketosis groups. There was no or only slight fatty degenerat ion of the liver cells in the control and ketosis groups. Glucose and insulin preinjection concentrations and changes from basal values afte r glucagon injection were significantly lower in the ketosis group if compared with the control group. The responses in the fatty liver anim als after glucagon injection were more heterogeneous than in the contr ol and ketosis animals, a sign of disturbance in the metabolic adaptat ion, which together with high free fatty acid (FFA) levels can lead to fatty liver in cows with concurrent diseases.