[Body condition and dislocated abomasum: comparative investigations into back fat thickness and additional criteria in cattle]. / Körperkondition und Dislocatio abomasi (DA): Vergleichende Untersuchungen zum Verhalten der Rückenfettdicke sowie weiterer Kriterien bei Rindern.

The body condition, the kind of parturition, the milk yield and diseases during early lactation were investigated in 228 cows including heifers. Overconditioning (back fat thickness > 30 mm) before parturition resulted in cows falling ill with mastitis and abomasal displacement (DA). These cows mobilised the most fat in comparison with healthy cows and cows suffering from different diseases after parturition. Especially heifers (83%) which gave birth to heavier male calves fell ill with DA, therefore needed assistance during labour because of dystocia. Besides DA additional disturbances occurred in those heifers, e.g. 50% mastitis, and 30% retentio secundinarum in this investigation. The daily milk yield amounted to 13.1 kg in cows with DA and to 23 kg in healthy cows. The presented results support the classification of DA into the fat mobilisation syndrome. Consequently overconditioning and stress during parturition need to be avoided to prevent DA.

[The behavior of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in serum of cows with abomasal displacement (DA)]. / Verhalten der Superoxiddismutase (SOD) im Serum von Kühen mit Dislocatio abomasi (DA).

After surgical reposition of displaced organs (abomasum, uterus, intestines) restoration of blood flow and oxygen supply generates oxygen radicals and other reactive oxygen species. SOD indicates radical stress of the organism. Subject of the study was the question if SOD can be detected in blood serum samples of cows and if there are differences in SOD activity between healthy cows and cows with Dislocatio abomasi (DA). We also wanted to investigate the influence of breed "Schwarzbunte" with DA (16 left/5 rights). The samples were drawn before and 1, 3 and 24 post op. Ten healthy cows of the same breed were also examined (2 weeks and 4-6 weeks after calving). There are no significant differences between the SOD activity of healthy cows and cows with DA, but the SOD activity of cows with left DA is significant lower than the activity of cows with right DA. Post op. SOD activity decreases; 24 h after surgery cows with left but not with right DA show an increase of SOD activity similar to values before surgery. There is a close positive correlation between SOD activity and protein concentration as well as negative correlation to concentration of free fatty acids after surgery. The behaviour of SOD activity shows that the surgical replacement of the displaced abomasum can generate a depression of the antioxidative capacity of the organism.

[Etiology and prophylaxis of reperfusion injuries]. / Atiologie und Prophylaxe von Reperfusionsschäden.

In recent years the importance of oxyradicals in clinical veterinary medicine is incessantly grown. An important example in cattle breeding is the displaced abomasum in dairy cows. The antioxidative status of the animals is representable by means of the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the blood. Post operationem the activity of SOD decreased very fast. In cows with left abomasal displacement this activity increased within 24 hours to the starting level, but in cows with right abomasal displacement the SOD-activity in this period increased only insignificantly. Because of the low level of SOD-activity in blood serum the measuring should take place in erythrocyte lysate. Today there are many possibilities of therapeutical intervention of reperfusion injury, but their clinical efficiency has to be ascertained. The treatment of cows with displaced abomasum with ascorbate, tocopherole or prednisolone before the replacement of the abomasum shows first success in terms of the antioxidative and metabolic status.

[Subacute butyric acid exposure in cattle. 4. Clinical influence and effect on the carbohydrate-fat metabolism and liver function of cows]. / Subakute Buttersäurebelastung bei Rindern. 4. Mitteilung: Klinische Auswirkungen sowie Einfluss auf den Kohlenhydrat-Fett-Stoffwechsel und die Leberfunktion bei Kühen.

Eleven cows in late lactation were exposed to butyric acid for three weeks and were compared to five controls. Two intraruminal doses were daily applied, that is 1.0 g/kg B.W. of butyric acid to six animals and 1.0 g/kg B.W. of sodium butyrate to another five. Decline in milk yield was clinically recorded in response to butyric acid, while muscle tremor and diarrhoea resulted additionally from sodium butyrate. Behaviours of the clinico-chemical parameters of beta-OH-butyrate, glucose, free fatty acids, bilirubin, ASAT, gamma-GT, AP, and cholesterol were comparable to those in fattening bulls. Liver damage was not safely established. Some of the clinico-chemical alterations were more strongly pronounced after administration of sodium butyrate. One cow fell ill with ketosis under butyric acid load.

[Subacute butyric acid exposure in cattle. 5. Effect on the acid-base equilibrium and protein metabolism in cows]. / Subakute Buttersäurebelastung bei Rindern. 5. Mitteilung: Einfluss auf den Säure-Basen-Haushalt und den Eiweissstoff-wechsel bei Kühen.

Acid-base balanced in cows were but slightly affected by butyric acid exposure experiment over three weeks. Applications of sodium butyrate over the same period of time, on the other hand, was associated with buildup of alkalosis in the second half of the experimental period, with alternation of loading, compensation, and reloading being recordable. Nitrogen metabolism in cows was but slightly affected under the given experimental conditions. However, clearly noticeable impairment of nitrogen metabolism was exhibited by one cow that had fallen ill, in the course of experimentation.

[Subacute butyric acid burden in cattle. 1. Clinical results and effects on the carbohydrate-fat metabolism and the liver function of young fattening bulls]. / Subakute Buttersäurebelastung bei Rindern. 1. Mitteilung: Klinische Auswirkungen sowie Einfluss auf den Kohlenhydrat-Fett-Stoffwechsel und die Leber-Funktion bei Jungmastbullen.

Daily butyric acid doses of 0.5 g/kg body weight or 1.0 g/kg were intraruminally applied to 8 young fattening bulls together with regular feed rations, for 19 days, following an initial phase for adaptation. Indigestion phenomena were recordable from 30% of the animals, primarily on the early days of the experiment. Both doses produced sinusoidal beta-OH butyrate curves without major dose-dependent deviations. The concentrations of glucose and free fatty acids were indicative of temporary subclinical ketosis. Neither ASAT, ALAT, and gamma-glutamyltransferase nor bilirubin nor liver glycogen were indicative of liver damage. The lower dose of 0.5 g/kg was widely tolerated, but clearly discernible disorders developed in response to the higher dose of 1.0 g/kg of butyric acid.

[Subacute butyric acid burden in cattle. 2. Effect on the acid-base balance and the protein metabolism in young fattening bulls]. / Subakute Buttersäurebelastung bei Rindern. 2. Mitteilung: Auswirkung auf den Säure-Basen-Haushalt sowie den Eiweiss-stoffwechsel bei Jungmastbullen.

Three weeks of butyric acid applications (0.5 g/kg and 1.0 g/kg body weight) caused strong dose-dependent strains on the acid-base balance in young fattening bulls aged 4 months. Disorders were primarily reflected in changed net values of acid-base excretion in urine. Activity of alkaline phosphatase was found to depend strongly and directly on these changes. Drastic variations were recorded also from nitrogen metabolism.

[Subacute butyric acid burden in cattle. 3. Clinical results and effect on the carbohydrate-fat metabolism, the liver function and the acid-base balance in fattening bulls]. / Subakute Buttersäurebelastung bei Rindern. 3. Mitteilung: Klinische Auswirkungen sowie Einfluss auf den Kohlenhydrat-Fett-Stoffwechsel, die Leberfunktion und den Säure-Basen-Haushalt bei Mastbullen.

A daily dose of 1.0 g/kg body weight (b.w.) of butyric acid was intraruminally applied to 7 fattening bulls (360 kg in b.w. for 3 weeks. This caused slight clinical disorders, primarily in the form of reduced b.w. gain, but more strongly pronounced changes in beta-OH butyrate and in free fatty acids, with concentrations of these rising in the first experimental week, returning to normal in the 2, and rising again in the 3rd. Glucose concentrations went up during the experiment, but its diurnal curve then was, typically, inversed against beta-OH butyrate. Signs indicative of impaired liver function were not recordable. Minor stresses on the acid-base balance were visible towards the end of the experiment.

[Hormonal reactions in fattening bulls and cows during a three-week butyric acid exposure]. / Hormonelle Reaktionen bei Mastbullen und Kühen während dreiwöchiger Buttersäurebelastung.

During a three-week intraruminal butyric acid resp. Na-butyrate load (1 g/kg body weight) we investigated the hormones insulin, cortisol, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxin (T4). Distinct effects on insulin concentration were found during the diurnal course which was after butyric acid application in the morning for nine hours depressed followed by a surplus incretion. In the morning the anteprandial concentrations of insulin, cortisol, T3 and T4 were not changed in the whole time. One cow was ill on ketosis and showed strong changes of hormones.

[Effect of a three-week butyric acid exposure on the mineral metabolism and the skeletal system in cattle]. / Auswirkungen dreiwöchiger Buttersäurebelastung auf den Mineralstoffwechsel und das Skelettsystem bei Rindern.

Three-week intraruminal butyric acid resp. Na-butyrate load in young fattening bulls, fattening bulls and cows induces different changes of mineral metabolism dependent on acid-base-stress. In young fattening bulls we observed typical sings of acidosis hyperphosphatemia and hypercalcaemia resp. hyperphosphaturia and hypercalciuria. In fattening bulls and cows we did not see such changes. Strong acidotic metabolism suppresses the activity of alkaline phosphatases significantly. During a three-week butyric acid load changes in bone mineralisation did not develop.