H. Mizutani et al., Preliminary studies on hepatic carnitine palmitoyltransferase in dairy cattle with or without fatty liver, VET RES COM, 23(8), 1999, pp. 475-480
The hepatic mitochondrial carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) activity was
measured by fluorimetric assay in dairy cows with or without fatty liver.
CPT activities in 13 lactating cattle and in 6 non-lactating cows were 304.
4 +/- 86.6 mu mol CoA/min per g protein and 169.3 +/- 84.8 mu mol CoA/min p
er g protein, respectively. This difference was significant (p < 0.05). CPT
activities in early lactation (0-110 days after calving), mid-lactation (1
11-220 days after calving) and late lactation (over 220 days after calving)
were 278.9 +/- 68.0, 312.4 +/- 124.1 and 320 +/- 59.3 mu mol CoA/min per g
protein, respectively. There was no significant difference between the val
ues at different stages of lactation. The CPT activity in 10 lactating cows
with fatty liver unrelated to calving was 201.3 +/- 80.0 mu mol CoA/min pe
r g protein. CPT activity in 10 cattle with fatty liver was significantly l
ower than that in normal lactating cattle. Based on these findings, clinica
l fatty liver unrelated to calving appears to be associated with a decrease
in hepatic CPT activity.