Whole body oxidative metabolism in dairy cows with a different liver fat content in early lactation

During the transition from late pregnancy to early lactation, high-yielding dairy cows mobilize large amounts of adipose tissue resulting in increased plasma concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA). NEFA are mostly oxidized to CO 2 whereas at excessive concentrations, NEFA are re-esterified to form triacylglycerides leading to the development of fatty liver. Thus, the capacity for fatty acid oxidation - among others - determines the fat load of the liver. We hypothesized that whole-body fat oxidation adapts to the extent of fat mobilization during early lactation. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.