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Relationship of Plasma Free Fatty Acids to Other Blood Components in Ruminants under Various Physiological Conditions^{1, 2, 3, 4,}

Departments of Dairy Science and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison

ABSTRACT

Experiments were conducted with cows and goats to determine the normal concentrations of plasma free fatty acids (FFA) and their relationship to blood sugars and blood ketones. Plasma FFA concentrations in cows and goats were within the ranges reported for nonruminant species (100–2,000 µeq/liter), but under normal non-fasting conditions were lower (200–300 µeq/liter) than values reported for non-ruminants. The plasma FFA concentration tended to be depressed 4 to 6 hr after feeding, at which time blood sugars were also depressed and blood ketones increased. Upon fasting, the plasma FFA concentration increased, whereas the blood sugars were depressed and blood ketones increased. The response of all blood components to feeding or fasting was much greater in milking than in dry animals. Correlations under fed and fasting conditions, respectively, were sugar vs. ketones, –.54, –.63; sugar vs. FFA, .01. –.75; ketones vs. FFA, .10, .81. This suggests that blood sugar is a controlling factor in ketogenesis, under both fed and fasting conditions, but that plasma FFA are a primary source of ketones only under fasting conditions. The plasma FFA concentration was elevated at parturition, but was not consistently higher at the time of peak milk production.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station.

² These data are part of a thesis presented by the senior author to the University of Wisconsin in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

³ Supported in part by the Research Committee of the Graduate School with funds from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and by Grant AM 08546-01 from the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases.

¹ This paper was approved for publication May 25, 1965. Unfortunately, it was misplaced in our office and was not recovered until November 24. The Editor-in-Chief apologizes for delayed publication of this excellent paper.