Abstract: To explore correlations between adipokine, biochemical indicators in early lactation cows with fatty liver, 64 perinatal Chinese Holstein cows from a farm in Sichuan province were used in the present study. Tail vein blood was collected before morning feeding on 7 and 14 days after delivery, serum AST, Glu and NEFA levels of 14 days after delivery were tested. According to fatty liver determination formula, cows were grouped into fatty liver group and control group. Some adipokine and biochemical indicators were tested and their correlations with liver function indexes and energy metabolism indexes were analyzed. The results showed that leptin, adiponectin level of fatty liver early lactation cows were significantly lower than the normal group(P<0.05). TNF-α level of fatty liver early lactation cows was significantly higher than the normal group(P<0.05), IL-6 level appeared no significant difference between fatty liver cows and normal cows(P>0.05). Leptin had significant positive correlations with Glu and ALB levels(P<0.05), significant negative correlations with AST, TBIL, DBIL, TP, NEFA and BHBA levels(P<0.05), indicated that negative energy balance was an important factor of fatty liver. Adiponectin level had significant negative correlations with NEFA, BHBA and AST(P<0.05), significant positive correlations between TP and ALB(P<0.05), speculating liver function and energy metabolism disorders were occurred in fatty liver early lactation cows. TNF-α level had significant positive correlations with TBIL,DBIL and ALT levels(P<0.05), significant negative correlations with Glu and ALB(P<0.05). IL-6 level had a significant positive correlation with ALT level(P<0.05), significant negative correlations with TP and ALB levels(P<0.05), showed that obvious inflammatory stress was appeared in fatty liver cows. Leptin levels showed a significant positive correlation with adiponectin level(P<0.05), significant negative correlation with IL-6 levels, speculating metabolism regulation disorder in fatty liver cows. In summary, the negative energy balance of early lactation cows induced body fat mobilization and downregulated adiponectin and leptin levels, causing lipids accumulate in liver and damaged liver function and triggered inflammatory stress, rising IL-6 and TNF-α levels and induced fatty liver, adiponectin. Thus, leptin and TNF-α levels could be able to be a predicative index of fatty liver in early lactation cows.

Key words: cows, fatty liver, adipokines