title: Hepatic enzyme changes in bovine hepatogenous photosensitivity caused by water-damaged alfalfa hay.
abstract: In the winter of 1983, practitioners reported extensive photosensitization in 7 herds of cattle. All herds had a history of having been fed water-damaged alfalfa hay. A cow from one herd was referred to the veterinary teaching hospital at Oklahoma State University. In this herd of approximately 40 adult Polled Herefords, all cattle had had some degree of clinical involvement over the past 4 to 6 weeks. Clinical signs included scaling and erythema of sparsely haired skin, muzzle, and teats, as well as icterus, anorexia, and weight loss. One cow died, and the remaining cattle recovered over an 8- to 10-week period after removal of the hay from the ration. In the referred cow, values for total and conjugated bilirubin, BUN, creatinine, sorbitol dehydrogenase, serum alkaline phosphatase, serum aspartate transaminase, and serum gamma-glutamyl transferase were higher than normal. In the herd of origin, extremely high serum gamma-glutamyl transferase values (180 to 1,400 IU/L) persisted (normal, 2 to 35 IU/L). Feeding the same alfalfa hay to 2 clinically normal cows reproduced the syndrome. The characteristic hepatic lesion was bile duct necrosis, with secondary bile duct hyperplasia.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Putnam
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Qualls
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D007064:L-Iditol 2-Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D000455:Medicago sativa / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010787:Photosensitivity Disorders / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000378:metabolism; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D007064:L-Iditol 2-Dehydrogenase; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D001663:Bilirubin