Vitamin A supplementation downregulates ADH1C and ALDH1A1 mRNA expression in weaned beef calves

Abstract

Our previous studies demonstrated that oral vitamin A supplementation during late-stage pregnancy and the neonatal stage enhances birth weight, growth performance, and mRNA expression related to muscle and preadipocyte development in beef cattle. The alcohol dehydrogenase 1C (ADH1C) c.-64T > C genotype also correlated with vitamin A concentration in beef production. This study aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin A supplementation on the muscle development and vitamin A metabolism in weaned beef calves with different ADH1C genotypes. Twenty male calves (90 d of age; initial BW: 89.03 kg [SD 8.60]) were stratified according to ADH1C genotype and vitamin A treatment (duration: 3 months) and randomly assigned to 4 groups with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Vitamin A treatments included the following: control (10,000 IU/kg of as-fed, a. TT type; b. TC type); treatment (40,000 IU/kg of as-fed, c. TT type; and d. TC type). Parameters including BW, FI, blood, longissimus dorsi muscle, and liver status during the experimental period were analyzed using the generalized linear model (GLM) procedure and Tukey's test by SAS 9.4 program. Serum vitamin A was significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the vitamin A treatment group at 4 and 6 months of age. TT type calves showed higher serum vitamin A concentration (P < 0.05) than the TC type calves. Serum triglyceride and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels increased (P < 0.05) in the treatment group compared with the control at 6 months of age. However, BW, ADG and FI showed no differences between the groups. In addition, mRNA expression in longissimus dorsi muscle revealed upregulation of paired box 7 (PAX7) (P < 0.05) after the vitamin A treatment period based on biopsy results. Both ADH1C and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) 1A1 mRNA expression was downregulated (P < 0.01) by vitamin A supplementation. The TC type of ADH1C showed higher mRNA expression than the TT type. However, no effect was observed on adipogenic mRNA expression (preadipocyte factor-1 [PREF-1], peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma [PPARγ], fatty acid binding protein 4 [FABP4]) in all groups. Our findings suggest that weaned calves treated with vitamin A may promote the storage of satellite cells by elevating PAX7 gene expression in the muscle. The TC type calves may show increased capacity for vitamin A metabolism, which can be used in genetically customizing feed management to maximize beef production in the calves.

Keywords: ADH1C genotype; Korean native calves; Muscle development; Vitamin A.

Fig. 1

Agarose gel electrophoresis of ADH1C c.-64T >C polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). ADH1C = alcohol dehydrogenase 1C. Lane 1: 100 bp DNA Ladder; Lane 2: TT type; Lane 3: TC type, Lane 4: 100 bp DNA Ladder.

Fig. 2

Expression of target mRNA of liver in weaned calves after vitamin A supplementation. (A) ADH1C and ALDH1A1 mRNA expression in control and vitamin A treatment group. (B) ADH1C and ALDH1A1 mRNA expression in TT and TC type of ADH1C genotype. ADH1C = alcohol dehydrogenase 1C; ALDH1A1 = aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A1. Vitamin A supplementation (40,000 IU/kg) in as-fed for 3 to 6 months after weaned. The quantitative real-time PCR values are expressed as fold changes after normalization against the control glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and ribosomal protein S9 (RPS9) mRNA. Data are expressed as the means ± SEM. ∗P < 0.05, ∗∗P < 0.01. ADH1C × treatment × genotype: P > 0.05, ALDH1A1 × treatment × genotype: P > 0.05.

Fig. 3

Expression of target mRNA of longissimus dorsi muscle in weaned calves based on ADH1C genotype after vitamin A supplementation. (A) PAX7 and MYF6 mRNA expression in control and vitamin A treatment group. (B) PAX7 and MYF6 mRNA expression in TT and TC type of ADH1C genotype. (C) MYF6 mRNA expression of TT and TC type of ADH1C genotype in vitamin A treatment group. PAX7 = paired box 7; MYF6 = myogenic factor 6. Vitamin A supplementation (40,000 IU/kg) in as-fed calves for 3 to 6 months of age after weaning. The quantitative real-time PCR values are expressed as fold changes after normalization against the control glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and ribosomal protein lateral stalk subunit P0 (RPLP0) mRNA. Data are expressed as the means ± SEM. ∗P < 0.05, ∗∗P < 0.01. PAX7 × treatment × genotype: P > 0.05, MYF6 × treatment × genotype: P > 0.05.