Table 1.
Results of independent t tests comparing least square mean (lower and upper 95 per cent confidence limit) blood parameter concentrations between beef bulls with abscessed and normal livers averaged over the 56-day sampling period
| Parameter (unit) | Abscessed (n=9) | Normal (n=20) | P Value |
| Metabolic hormones | |||
| Cortisol (ng/ml) | 91.52 (37.35, 55.02) | 70.13 (30.08, 40.43) | 0.04 |
| Leptin (ng/ml) | 2.89 (2.47, 3.37) | 2.74 (2.46, 3.04) 0.361 |
0.60 |
| IGF-1 (ng/ml) | 486.8 (445.8, 527.8) | 509.0 (481.1, 536.8) | 0.36 |
| T3 (nmol/l) | 2.74 (2.57, 2.92) | 2.76 (2.64, 2.88) | 0.89 |
| T4 (nmol/l) | 85.73 (80.86, 90.61) | 88.60 (85.30, 91.91) | 0.32 |
| Liver and whole-body metabolism | |||
| CO2 (mmol/l) | 23.16 (22.62, 23.71) | 22.65 (22.28, 23.01) | 0.12 |
| Albumin (g/l) | 30.27 (29.24, 31.30) | 32.04 (31.36, 32.73) | 0.01 |
| ALP (U/l) | 120.2 (107.66, 132.80) | 122.08 (113.60, 130.57) | 0.80 |
| AST (U/l) | 64.85 (59.57, 70.58) | 57.48 (54.29, 60.87) | 0.02 |
| Acetate (g/l) | 34.93 (32.41, 37.64) | 35.06 (33.35, 36.86) | 0.93 |
| Cholesterol (mmol/l) | 2.22 (2.03, 2.41) | 2.45 (2.32, 2.58) | 0.05 |
| Glucose (mmol/l) | 2.15 (1.45, 1.48) | 2.18 (1.47, 1.48) | 0.13 |
| Urea (mmol/l) | 3.84 (3.53, 4.16) | 4.11 (3.90, 4.33) | 0.15 |
| Sexual hormones | |||
| FSH (ng/ml) | 0.33 (0.26, 0.41) | 0.28 (0.24, 0.32) | 0.21 |
| LH (ng/ml) | 0.33 (0.25, 0.42) | 0.35 (0.29, 0.41) | 0.69 |
| Testosterone (ng/ml) | 3.96 (3.19, 4.73) | 5.13 (4.61, 5.65) | 0.02 |
| Prolactin (ng/ml) | 56.21 (40.12, 78.74) | 42.26 (33.63, 53.10) | 0.16 |
| Ions | |||
| Chloride (mmol/l) | 94.57 (93.16, 95.97) | 95.02 (94.08, 95.96) | 0.58 |
| Sodium (mmol/l) | 136.0 (134.00, 137.95) | 136.71 (135.39, 138.02) | 0.53 |
| Potassium (mmol/l) | 4.37 (4.20, 4.54) | 4.38 (4.27, 4.50) | 0.88 |
| Calculated osmolality (mmol/l) | 269.4 (265.60, 273.31) | 271.30 (268.72, 273.88) | 0.42 |
ALP, alkaline phosphatase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; CO2, carbon dioxide; FSH, follicle stimulating hormone; IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor-1; LH, luteinising hormone; T3, triiodothyronine; T4, thyroxine.