Effect of Certain Acute Stress Conditions on the Plasma Levels of 17-Hydroxycorticosteroids and Protein-Bound Iodine in Dairy Cattle

Levels of plasma 17-hydroxyeorticosteroids and protein-bound iodine were determined in 21 dairy cows suffering from various acute stress conditions, including surgery, acute mastitis, milk fever ('parturient paresis), uterine prolapse, retained placenta, and metritis. The mean level of plasma 17-hydroxycorticosteroids in the animals under stress (11.95 ~g. %) was elevated markedly over that of 20 normal cows (mean of 4.58 ~g. %) ; whereas, the level of plasma protein-bound iodine in the cows under stress (3.63 ~g. %) was not significantly lower than that of the control cows (4.22 ~g. %).