The metabolism of glucose, acetate, lipids and amino acids in lactating dairy cows

Abstract

SUMMARYSpecialized techniques, previously used in surgically prepared goats, which simultaneously measure udder metabolism (arteriovenous difference of milk precursors x udder blood flow) and the whole body turnover of the milk precursors, have been successfully transferred to dairy cows. Methods of obtaining representative samples of arterial and mammary venous blood and of measuring udder blood flow are described.The rates of entry into the circulation, as determined by isotope dilution, of glucose, acetate and plasma free fatty acids were 3·3–4·0, 1·7–2·1 and 0·5 kg/day respectively. Acetate and glucose contributed 32–50 and 4–11% respectively of the total CO2output by the animal.Measurement of the uptake of precursors of milk constituents and their transfer into milk showed that there were substantial arteriovenous differences of glucose, acetate, triglyceride and β-hydroxybutyrate which were not significantly different between breeds or related to milk yield. Isotopic and balance data confirm that glucose is the main precursor of lactose and that the oxidation and transfer of glucose into lactose accounted for 69–98% of the glucose entry rate. As in the goat, plasma triglycerides and blood acetate accounted for 35–80% and 25–50% of the milk triglycerides respectively. Propionate was extracted from plasma but the uptake was only about 8% of the value for acetate.There was no net arteriovenous difference of phospholipids, cholesterol esters or free fatty acids, but the fall in specific radioactivity of free fatty acids across the mammary gland indicated there was an exchange of free fatty acids between plasma and mammary tissue. In agreement with previous findings, acetate contributed to all the milk fatty acids up to a chain length of C14and part of the C16fatty acid. Plasma triglycerides contributed to the remainder of the C16 fatty acid and all the milk fatty acids with a chain length of C18or higher.In contrast to the lactating goat, cow plasma contained very few chylomicrons. The majority of the triglycerides taken up by the udder were derived from the lowdensity lipoprotein fraction.The essential amino acids were extracted from blood in amounts sufficient to account for the essential amino acids secreted into milk protein. Although the plasma level of methionine was low, 52–72% of the material reaching the mammary gland was taken up. The uptake of arginine was far in excess of the requirement for milk protein synthesis.