To assess the relationship between blood leptin concentration and the development of ketosis postpartum in Holstein dairy cows, blood plasma leptin, ketone body (KB), glucose and lipid concentrations of 15 cows were measured once per wk from zero wk before to 8 wk after calving. The BCS and backfat thickness of cows were measured one wk before calving. The cows were divided into subclinical ketosis (SK) and no subclinical ketosis (NSK) group accordance of KB, above parameters were compared between SK and NSK cows. The correlation between leptin and KB concentrations was analyzed in all experimental cows. Four of 15 cows developed SK with plasma KB concentrations reached above 1.722 mmol/L at least once in the eight weekly measurements following parturition, another 11 animals had NSK were regarded as normal. Cows which developed SK had significantly lower leptin concentration one wk before calving in comparison to the animals that did not. Plasma leptin concentrations measured at one wk before calving were negatively correlated with KB concentrations measured at calving as well as in the following eight wks. It may be concluded that the SK occurrence of Holstein dairy cows postpartum may be associated with the lower leptin level before calving. Low plasma leptin concentration before calving may serve as a prognostic factor for postpartum subclinical ketosis in dairy cow herd.

To Cite This Article: Bao-xiang HE, Xiang-hong DU, Yu-lan DU, Qi-qi HE and Mohsin MA, 2018. Association of prepartum hypoleptinemia and postpartum subclinical ketosis in Holstein dairy cows. Pak Vet J, 38(4): 404-408. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2018.087