Abstract: Nutrition and metabolic disease induced by glycolipid metabolism is the cause of ketosis in dairy cows. This disease is common in high-yielding dairy cows. The lack of energy intake due to the much energy consume in dairy cows during perinatal period, which need to lipid mobilization to produce enough energy. Excess lipid mobilization will lead to the elevation of blood non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) and ketone concentration. In this paper, we will elaborate on the production, utilization and role of NEFAs in the perinatal period which will provide the theoretical basis for the further study of the pathogenesis of ketosis.

Key words: cow, ketosis, NEFAs, MAPK, NF-κB, oxidative stress