Investigation of asprosin and beta-hydroxybutiric acid levels in cows with postpartum problem

In this thesis, it was aimed to determine asprosin levels in cows, to determine the relationship between this hormone with postpartum diseases and β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA), and to evaluate the possibility of asprosin hormone as a marker for postpartum diseases, especially ketosis. For this purpose, the thesis has been designed in two stages. In the first stage, blood samples of 20 healthy Simmental cows aged 3-4 years were taken at birth and on the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th and 15th days after birth and BHBA and asprosine values were measured. In the second stage, 200 cows were divided into two groups as healthy (n = 100) and diseased (retentio secundinarum, hypocalcemia, metritis, lameness, abomasum displacement, mastitis) (n = 100) and blood samples were taken only on the 15th day after birth and BHBA and asprosine values were measured. At both stages, asprosine levels were measured using a commercial ELISA kit and BHBA values were measured using a ketometer. When the obtained data were evaluated, it was determined that there was a measurable level of asprosine hormone in blood serum and a negative correlation (r = -0.194) between BHBA in cows (P <0.01). On the other hand, according to the data obtained in the first stage of the study, there was no parallelism in the change of BHBA (P=0.242) and asprosin (P=0.889) by days (P>0.05). When the BHBA and asprosin levels of the diseased and healthy animals were compared; the BHBA (0.77±0.31 mmol/L) and asprosin (0.99±0.41 ng/mL) values of the diseased group were higher than the healthy (BHBA = 0.66±0.31 mmol/L, asprosin= 0.86±0.27 ng/mL) group (P<0.05), while the BHBA (0.90±0.4 mmol/L) value of the animals with placental retention was higher (P<0.05) when the patients with the disease were compared within themselves, the asprosin (0.90±0.37 ng/mL) value was not different, and it was also found that the animals with lameness among the diseased had lower BHBA (0.54 ± 0.05 mmol/L) level and higher asprosin (1.84 ± 0.51 ng/mL) level (P<0.01). Asprosin level (0.95 ± 0.35 ng/mL) in animals without ketosis (BHBA <1.2 mmol/L) was found to be higher than the subclinical ketosis (BHBA ≥1.2 mmol/L) group (0.71 ± 0.21 ng/mL). As a result, it was concluded that it would be beneficial to conduct more extensive studies to determine the relationship between asprosin and postpartum period diseases in cows.