Acetate metabolism in bovine ketosis

¹ School of Veterinary Medicine and College of Agriculture, University of California, Davis, California

The metabolism of intravenously injected acetate-1-C¹⁴ was compared in normal and ketotic cows. The mean standardized specific activity of milk citrate, casein, lactose, plasma glucose, respired carbon dioxide and urine acetone was greater in the ketotic than in the normal cows, while that of milk fat was markedly decreased. The total-C¹⁴ recovered in the milk fat within 48 hours was about 14% of the injected dose in the normal cows, but only about 3% in the ketotic cows. These results suggest that the proportion of acetate metabolized via the tricarboxylic acid cycle is increased, while milk fat synthesis from acetate is impaired during bovine ketosis.