A study of lipid peroxidation and vitamin E in dairy cows with hepatic insufficiency.
Sixteen dairy cows were studied to assess the status of the natural antioxidant vitamin E and lipid peroxidation in their livers. Cows with liver failure (n = 7) showed clinical signs of a hepatic encephalopathy and had the following values of selected blood indices: AST > 80 U/l and GLDH > 15 U/l in serum, and venous plasma ammonia > 35 mmol/l. The control group (n = 9) consisted of dairy cows which were recovering from surgery (omentopexy) and were free of any health complications. Blood was analysed for alpha-tocopherol, aspartate aminotransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, total bilirubin, ammonia, cholesterol, albumin, free fatty acids, glucose, and beta-hydroxybutyrate. Alpha-tocopherol, triglyceride and malondialdehyde were measured in wet liver tissue. The cows with hepatic failure were clearly low in alpha-tocopherol and had significantly lower (P < 0.01) plasma alpha-tocopherol than the controls. Both liver triglycerides and MDA were higher (P < 0.05) in the cows with fatty livers. It is concluded that the cows with liver failure had an increase in the intensity of hepatic lipoperoxidative processes and a low antioxidative status, which should be taken into consideration in cases where treatment of the disease is proposed.
Clinic of Internal Medicine (Ruminants and Swine), Veterinary University, Kosice, Slovakia.
P
P
Mudron
J
J
Rehage
K
K
Qualmann
H P
HP
Sallmann
H
H
Scholz
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000502:physiology; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood
D014810:Vitamin E