Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Biochemical Journal logoLink to Biochemical Journal
. 1968 May;107(5):683–689. doi: 10.1042/bj1070683

Biochemical aspects of bovine ketosis

G D Baird 1,2, K G Hibbitt 1,2, G D Hunter 1,2, Patricia Lund 1,2,*, Marion Stubbs 1,2,*, H A Krebs 1,2,*
PMCID: PMC1198721  PMID: 16742590

Abstract

1. The concentrations of acetoacetate, β-hydroxybutyrate and metabolites related to gluconeogenesis were determined in biopsy samples of the livers of ketotic, normal lactating and normal non-lactating cows. Key enzymes of gluconeogenesis in the liver were also assayed. 2. Significant decreases were found in the ketotic liver in the concentrations of glucogenic amino acids (glutamate, glutamine, alanine) and of glucogenic oxo acids (α-oxoglutarate, pyruvate, oxaloacetate). 3. The β-hydroxybutyrate/acetoacetate concentration ratios were generally much higher than in rat liver. 4. The concentration of total fat was sevenfold higher in the ketotic liver, and that of glucose plus glycogen fourfold lower than in normal liver. 5. The blood of ketotic cows showed a marked rise in the concentration of free fatty acids. 6. The activities of pyruvate carboxylase, propionyl-CoA carboxylase, phosphopyruvate carboxylase and fructose 1,6-diphosphatase showed no clear-cut differences between normal and ketotic animals. 7. Glucose injection promptly relieved the ketotic condition with respect to both the clinical and biochemical signs. The fall in the concentrations of the ketone bodies in the blood was preceded by a fall in the concentrations of free fatty acids and glycerol. 8. The findings are taken to be consistent with the concept that an increased rate of gluconeogenesis, causing a decrease in the concentration of oxaloacetate, is a major causal factor in ketogenesis.

Full text

PDF
683

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bergmeyer H. U., Gawehn K., Klotzsch H., Krebs H. A., Williamson D. H. Purification and properties of crystalline 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. Biochem J. 1967 Feb;102(2):423–431. doi: 10.1042/bj1020423. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Conway E. J., Byrne A. An absorption apparatus for the micro-determination of certain volatile substances: The micro-determination of ammonia. Biochem J. 1933;27(2):419–429. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DOLE V. P. A relation between non-esterified fatty acids in plasma and the metabolism of glucose. J Clin Invest. 1956 Feb;35(2):150–154. doi: 10.1172/JCI103259. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. GARLAND P. B., RANDLE P. J. A rapid enzymatic assay for glycerol. Nature. 1962 Dec 8;196:987–988. doi: 10.1038/196987a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. KIRSTEN E., KIRSTEN R., HOHORST H. J., BUECHER T. Free amino acids in alloxan diabetic rat livers. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1961 Mar 10;4:169–174. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(61)90264-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. KREBS H. A., WOODFORD M. FRUCTOSE 1, 6-DIPHOSPHATASE IN STRIATED MUSCLE. Biochem J. 1965 Feb;94:436–445. doi: 10.1042/bj0940436. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Krebs H. A. Bovine ketosis. Vet Rec. 1966 Feb 5;78(6):187–192. doi: 10.1136/vr.78.6.187. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Krebs H. A., Dierks C., Gascoyne T. Carbohydrate synthesis from lactate in pigeon-liver homogenate. Biochem J. 1964 Oct;93(1):112–121. doi: 10.1042/bj0930112. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Krebs H. A., Gascoyne T., Notton B. M. Generation of extramitochondrial reducing power in gluconeogenesis. Biochem J. 1967 Jan;102(1):275–282. doi: 10.1042/bj1020275. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Krebs H. A. The regulation of the release of ketone bodies by the liver. Adv Enzyme Regul. 1966;4:339–354. doi: 10.1016/0065-2571(66)90027-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. LOEFFLER G., WIELAND O. [An isotope method for the enzymatic determination of oxalacetate]. Biochem Z. 1963;336:447–454. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lardy H. A., Paetkau V., Walter P. Paths of carbon in gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis: the role of mitochondria in supplying precursors of phosphoenolpyruvate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1965 Jun;53(6):1410–1415. doi: 10.1073/pnas.53.6.1410. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. UTTER M. F., KEECH D. B. PYRUVATE CARBOXYLASE. I. NATURE OF THE REACTION. J Biol Chem. 1963 Aug;238:2603–2608. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. WILLIAMSON D. H., MELLANBY J., KREBS H. A. Enzymic determination of D(-)-beta-hydroxybutyric acid and acetoacetic acid in blood. Biochem J. 1962 Jan;82:90–96. doi: 10.1042/bj0820090. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. WOLLENBERGER A., RISTAU O., SCHOFFA G. [A simple technic for extremely rapid freezing of large pieces of tissue]. Pflugers Arch Gesamte Physiol Menschen Tiere. 1960;270:399–412. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Williamson D. H., Lopes-Vieira O., Walker B. Concentrations of free glucogenic amino acids in livers of rats subjected to various metabolic stresses. Biochem J. 1967 Aug;104(2):497–502. doi: 10.1042/bj1040497. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Williamson D. H., Lund P., Krebs H. A. The redox state of free nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide in the cytoplasm and mitochondria of rat liver. Biochem J. 1967 May;103(2):514–527. doi: 10.1042/bj1030514. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Biochemical Journal are provided here courtesy of The Biochemical Society

RESOURCES