Title

Neonatal vitamin A injection promotes cattle muscle growth and increases oxidative muscle fibers

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2018

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Vitamin A and its metabolite, retinoic acid (RA), are important regulators of cell differentiation and organ morphogenesis. Its impact on beef cattle muscle growth remains undefined. METHOD: Angus steer calves were administrated with 0 (control) or 150,000 IU vitamin A (retinyl palmitate in glycerol, i.m.) per calf at birth and 1 month of age. At 2 months of age, a biopsy of the muscle was obtained to analyze the immediate effects of vitamin A injection on myogenic capacity of muscle cells. The resulting steers were harvested at 14 months of age. RESULTS: Vitamin A administration increased cattle growth at 2 months. At 2 months of age, Vitamin A increased PAX7 positive satellite cells and the expression of myogenic marker genes including , , and . Muscle derived mononuclear cells were further isolated and induced myogenesis in vitro. More myotubes and a higher degree of myogenesis was observed in vitamin A groups. Consistently, vitamin A increased (LD) muscle fiber size at harvest. In addition, vitamin A increased the ratio of oxidative type I and type IIA fibers and reduced the glycolic type IIX fibers. Furthermore, we found that RA, a key bioactive metabolite of vitamin A, activated promoter, which explains the upregulated expression of in skeletal muscle. CONCLUSION: Vitamin A administration to neonatal calves enhanced postnatal muscle growth by promoting myogenesis and increasing satellite cell density, accompanied with a shift to oxidative muscle fibers.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Journal of animal science and biotechnology

First Page

82

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