Oral vitamin A supplementation during neonatal stage enhances growth, pre-adipocyte and muscle development in Korean native calves

Abstract Recently, many studies reported the critical importance of marbling development during late pregnancy and neonatal stage by influencing the preadipocyte hyperplasia. Our previous study demonstrated that 100,000 IU/day oral vitamin A supplementation during late-stage pregnancy enhances birth weight and gene expression-related muscle and preadipocyte development in offspring. This study investigated the effects of the oral supplementation of vitamin A on growth, and preadipocyte and muscle development in Korean native calves at the postnatal neonatal stage. Twenty-seven newborn calves were then randomly divided into two groups encompassing similar number of bulls and heifers (body weight of 31.6 ± 3.98 kg; age: from five days of birth to two-months age; control: 9 bulls and 4 heifers; treatment: 10 bulls and 4 heifers). All calves were treated with (treatment group) or without (control group) oral vitamin A supplementation (20,000 IU vs. 45,000 IU vitamin A/day, retinyl acetate) for two months until weaning. Vitamin A supplementation resulted in higher BW on day 45 (p