Investigation of cardiac damage and coagulation profile in obese holstein cows

Abstract

In parallel with the increase in the prevalence of obesity in humans in the world in recent years, this trend has also been observed  in animals. Obese humans and pets are known to have myocardial damage. However, the presence of myocardial damage in cows that develop obesity naturally is not known. The aim of this study is to determine whether holstein obese cows have a myocardial damage and a coagulation disorder. This study consisted of 20 obese cows between -year-old 4-7, with an average weight of 856.6 kg, and 10 cows between the year-old 5-7, with an average weight of 650 kg. The concentrations of high-sensitivity Troponin I (hsTnI) (p<0.002), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (p<0.001), and creatine kinase (CK) (p<0.002) in the obese group were
significantly higher compared to the control group. There was no significant difference between the obese and the control group levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (p>0.912), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) isoform (p>0.983) and prothrombin time (PTsec) (p>0.129). The activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) concentration of the obese group (p<0.028) was found to be significantly lower than the control group. hsTnI concentration was found to have a positive correlation with AST (p=0.002; r=0.538), LDH (p=0.001; r=0.813), CK (p=0.001; r=0.651), white blood cell count (WBC) (p=0.023; r=0.414), lymphocyte count (LYM) (p= 0.038; r=0.381) and body condition score (BCS) (p=0.017; r=0.431).
In conclusion, in this study, we determined myocardial damage and coagulation disorders in obese Holstein cows. Additionally, significant changes in biochemical parameters were observed in obese Holstein cows. Future research should focus on determining whether myocardial damage in obese cows is reversible following weight loss and should include echocardiographic and electrocardiographic assessments for a more comprehensive understanding.