Fatty liver syndrome in dairy herds in southeast Iran

Fatty liver syndrome is a metabolic disorder that is caused by negative energy balance in high-producing dairy cows during early lactation. The diagnosis of fatty infiltration of the liver in dairy cattle is presently based mostly on biochemical analysis, biopsy, and histological analysis of hepatic tissue. In this study, a total of 287 dairy cows in early lactation (1–4 weeks postpartum) were randomly selected from 14 commercial dairy herds in southeast Iran. Blood samples from all of the cases, midstream urine samples from 46 of 287 cattle, and liver samples from 94 of 287 cows that were slaughtered due to other postparturient disorders were collected. A spectrophotometer was used to measure the levels of aspartate aminotransferase and glucose concentrations in the serum samples. Ketone bodies were detected by highly sensitive test strip method in the urine samples. The submersion of liver samples into water and copper sulfate solutions with specific gravities of 1.025 and 1.055 was used as a test to estimate lipid contents. Formalin-fixed liver samples were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and confirmed by the Sudan IV staining method on frozen sections. Fatty liver syndrome was detected in ten out of 14 dairy herds. Eleven (11.7%) postpartum cows were suffering from mild (13%< fat content<25%) fatty liver, and ketone bodies were detected in five (11.11%) urine samples from a total 46 cows. All of the five cases were suffering from hypoglycemia (serum glucose concentrations <45 mg/dl) and mild hepatic lipidosis. In conclusion, the results of this study show that the prevalence of fatty liver syndrome in dairy herds in southeast Iran is considerable. Furthermore, proper nutritional programs for the early lactating cows will prevent the disease.