Minimally-invasive catheterization of the portal, hepatic and cranial mesenteric veins and the abdominal aorta for quantitative determination of hepatic metabolism in dairy cows

The objective of this study was to establish a minimally-invasive, ultrasound (US)-guided technique for the placement of indwelling catheters into the portal, hepatic, and cranial mesenteric veins as well as the abdominal aorta. Catheters were placed in eight healthy dairy cows on day 1. The patency of catheters was tested daily until day 14 when a necropsy was carried out. On day 6, energy intake and hepatic net output of glucose, removal of lactate, and oxygen were determined in seven cows. Post mortem examination revealed that all implanted catheters were in the intended locations. Loss of patency in one portal vein catheter on day 9 was attributable to a fibrin clot.Significant correlations were found between mean energy intake and mean hepatic plasma flow (r = 0.91; P = 0.004), hepatic glucose output (r = 0.81; P = 0.027) and hepatic removal of lactate (r = −0.70; P = 0.08) and oxygen (r = −0.77; P = 0.039), as well as between hepatic glucose net output and removal of lactate (r = −0.92; P = 0.004). Minimally-invasive, US-guided transcutaneous catheter placement into the cranial mesenteric, portal and hepatic veins as well as the technique for catheterization of the abdominal aorta appear to be safe, and suitable for studies of quantitative hepatic metabolism in cattle.