PROTEIN METABOLISM AT KETOSIS IN COWS
I. M. Petrukh
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Institute of Animal Biology NAAS, Lviv, 79034, V. Stus st., 38
The analysis of protein metabolism in clinically healthy and suffering from ketosis cows is presented in this article. The research was conducted on highly productive cows (more than 8000 l of milk per lactation) of dairy black and white breed, 2–5 years age. Two groups were formed on the basis of clinical cows’ examination and rapid diagnosis of the ketone bodies content in urine: clinically healthy and with signs of ketosis animals. Content of total protein, protein fractions, urea and concentration of free amino acids were determined in the blood of all experimental cows.
It was established that at ketosis (p<0.001) total protein, β- and γ-globulins content increases and albumin content decreases in the blood of animals. The increase of total proteins and β- and γ-globulins and decrease albofmin in sick cows causes dysproteinemia, characterized by the decrease of protein coefficient to the critical value. Simultaneously, the usage of ketogenic amino acids (leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine) increases (p<0.01, p<0.05) in the sick animals and the usage of glucogenic amino acids (isoleucine valine) decreases (p<0.01). The content of urea increases (p<0.05).
Key role in regulating of metabolism and energy in the animal organism belongs to the liver. Changes in protein metabolism in sick animals indicate liver damage with increasing of its detoxification function, namely neutralization of ammonia excess, as evidenced by the high (7,04±0,42 mmol/l) urea in their blood.
The established indices of amino acid metabolism may be additional tests for the diagnosis of subclinical ketosis in cows.
Keywords: COWS, LIVER, KETOSIS, TOTAL PROTEIN, PROTEIN FRACTION, AMINO ACIDS, UREA