Lower Shear Force Research Articles

Changes in physical architecture and lipids compounds in skeletal muscle from Pekin duck and Liancheng white duck

As a complex food, meat displays various biochemical properties that are determined to a great extent by physical architecture and lipid metabolites. Pekin duck and Liancheng white duck are elite breeds with distinct characteristics. Here, we explored the development of the muscle fibers from embryonic stage to 10-wk after birth, and muscle fibers grow slowly after 8-wk. We investigated the meat quality, ultrastructure, lipidomics profiling, and lipids spatial distribution of skeletal muscle at 8 wk. Pekin duck has lower Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) (P < 0.05), high intramuscular fat (IMF) (P < 0.01), longer and wider sarcomere, and higher mitochondrial density (P < 0.001). Liancheng white duck with tighter collagen architecture. A total of 950 lipids from 6 lipid classes identified with lipidomics were analyzed, the levels of GP, GL, and PR were significantly higher in Pekin duck (P < 0.05), SL and ST were significantly higher in Liancheng white duck (P < 0.05). There were 333 significantly different lipids (|log2(Fold Change)| ≥ 1 and FDR < 0.05) screened, most lipids distributed in the muscle tissue were uniform, but some specifically distributed in connective tissue. To some extent, the results demonstrate the high lipid deposition capacity of Pekin duck and the high medicinal function of Liancheng white duck. Our study provides new insights into the relationship between skeletal muscle architecture and meat toughness, which increased the knowledge of lipidomic characteristics and provide a basis for duck meat authentication.

Effect of Different Roughage Sources in Fermented Total Mixed Ration and Energy Intake on Meat Quality, Collagen Solubility, Troponin T Degradation, and Fatty Acids of Native Thai Cattle Longissimus Muscle.

The effects of roughage sources in the fermented total mixed ration (FTMR) and the level of energy intake on meat quality, collagen solubility, and troponin T degradation in longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle of native Thai cattle (NTC) were investigated. Results showed that roughage source affected fatty acid composition in the LT muscle (p < 0.05), as NTC fed Pakchong 1-Napier-based FTMR had higher monounsaturated fatty acid content and ω 6:ω 3 ratio. The high-energy ad libitum group had lower drip loss, lower shear force, and higher percent collagen solubility (p < 0.05). However, energy intake had no effect on troponin T degradation and fatty acid composition (p > 0.05). Longer aging of 14 days showed lower shear force values, higher collagen solubility, and troponin T degradation rate but higher cooking loss (p < 0.01). In conclusion, the meat quality of NTC could be improved by ad libitum feeding with NG-FTMR, as their meat had higher MUFA content, lower drip loss, lower shear force, and higher collagen solubility. In addition, the tenderness of NTC meat could be further improved by longer aging of 14 days post-mortem.

Sturdy oil-impregnated polyurethane coatings with long-lasting and high-efficient deicing performance

Icing on exposed surfaces can cause serious problems for aircraft, radar, highways, etc. Passive anti-icing surfaces with delicate surface structures show ultralow ice adhesion strength, but they suffer from stability and durability issues when facing the complex icing environments. Here, we show that oil-impregnated polyurethane coatings (OIPs) with gradient distribution of nanoscale oil droplets along the coating depth simultaneously exhibit reduced ice adhesion strength, improved stability and durability, and enhanced substrate adhesion compared with polyurethane (PU) coatings. This heterogeneous structure of OIPs not only leads to the formation of a stable oil/PU composite surface on the top surface but also induces slip pulse at the ice/coating interface at a lower critical shear force, both of which greatly reduce the effective ice/coating contact area. The deicing efficiency of OIPs can last >130 days without degradation, covering the whole winter in most temperate-zone countries.

Expression profile and bioinformatics analysis of circRNA and its associated ceRNA networks in longissimus dorsi from Lufeng cattle and Leiqiong cattle

This paper aims to explore the role of circRNA expression profiles and circRNA-associated ceRNA networks in the regulation of myogenesis in the longissimus dorsi of cattle breeds surviving under subtropical conditions in southern China by RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. It also aims to provide comprehensive understanding of the differences in muscle fibers in subtropical cattle breeds and to expand the knowledge of the molecular networks that regulate myogenesis. With regard to meat quality indicators, results showed that the longissimus dorsi of LQC had lower pH (P < 0.0001), lower redness (P < 0.01), lower shear force (P < 0.05), and higher brightness (P < 0.05) than the longissimus dorsi of LFC. With regard to muscle fiber characteristics, the longissimus dorsi of LQC had a smaller diameter (P < 0.0001) and higher density of muscle fibers (P < 0.05). The analysis results show that the function of many circRNA-targeted mRNAs was related to myogenesis and metabolic regulation. Furthermore, in the analysis of the function of circRNA source genes, we hypothesized that btacirc_00497 and btacirc_034497 may regulate the function and type of myofibrils by affecting the expression of MYH6, MYH7, and NEB through competitive linear splicing.

Analisis Pengaruh Preloading Kombinasi Prefabricated Vertical Drain pada Proses Konsolidasi di Proyek Reklamasi di Samping Tangki Cpo Antar Pulau Belawan Berdasarkan Bore Log Bh-2)

To carry out construction on soft soil, cases of land subsidence are often encountered. This is due to the low bearing capacity and small shear force, large compression, and very small permeability. To address this problem, one method that can be implemented is soil improvement using preloading and Prefabricated Vertical Drain (PVD). The aim of this research is to find out the magnitude of consolidation settlement by using analytical methods and by using PLAXIS 2D modeling at reclamation project locations besides CPO tanks between Belawan Islands based on Bore Log BH-02 data. It is also to compare coarse mesh, medium mesh, and fine mesh in PLAXIS 2D modeling, and to obtain the amount of land subsidence using preloading only and preloading with a combination of preloading and Prefabricated Vertical Drain (PVD) based on Bore Log BH-02 points. From the analytical results obtained a decrease of 1.254 meters. While the PLAXIS 2D modeling uses a medium mesh that has been combined with a PVD of 1.268 meters. This means that the results of the settlement by modeling using PLAXIS 2D are closer to the SP-02 settlement plate data of 1.270 meters. The settlement uses PLAXIS 2D with a coarse mesh of 1,266 meters and a fine mesh of 1,282 meters. While modeling using preloading only obtained a decrease of 0.340 meters. It can be concluded that the results of modeling using PLAXIS 2D in using medium mesh that has been combined with PVD are relatively closer to settlement data in the field with a percentage difference of 0.142% settlement plate SP-02 settlement.

Comparative analysis of carcass traits and meat quality in indigenous Chinese cattle breeds

This study aimed to investigate the carcass traits and meat quality of typical Chinese indigenous cattle breeds, and to compare the difference in beef composition between breeds. We measured 5 carcass traits and 61 meat quality indicators in each striploin and outside flat cuts. The results showed that northern Chinese breeds had superior beef production performance in terms of slaughter weight, carcass weight and lean meat weight compared to southern breeds. The improved breeds for meat specialized had significantly higher slaughter weights than local breeds (P < 0.01). With respect to edibility, Pingliang red cattle demonstrated superior tenderness with lower shear force. Xinjiang brown cattle and Jiaxian red cattle exhibited lower cooking and water loss rates. The improved breeds had higher fat content, while majority of the local breeds showed higher crude protein content.The comparison results of targeted metabolites indicated that local breeds had more flavor amino acids than improved breeds. Additionally, the composition of amino acids and fatty acids varied among breeds, and Chinese cattle exhibited a healthier composition compared to foreign breeds.This study clarifies the carcass characteristics and meat quality in Chinese cattle breeds, promoting the development of the beef cattle industry towards high efficiency and high quality.

Subzero saline chilling with or without prechilling in icy water improved chilling efficiency and meat tenderness of broiler carcasses

Freshly slaughtered carcasses need to be chilled to improve product quality, meat safety, and processing efficiency. This research investigated the effect of subzero saline chilling (SSC) on broiler carcasses with or without prechilling in icy water. Water immersion chilling at 0.5°C (WIC) or SSC at 4% NaCl/-2.41°C (SSC) was a major chilling step. For the combination of pre- and postchilling, the warm water immersion chilling (WWIC) at 10°C was used as prechilling and the WIC as postchilling (WWIC-WIC), and WIC was used as prechilling and the SSC as postchilling (WIC-SSC). The internal temperature of breast fillets was monitored during chilling. Carcasses in a prechiller were transported to a postchiller when their internal temperature reached 15°C. Chilling was completed when the carcass temperature reached 4.4°C or below, and breast fillets were harvested at 3-h postmortem to measure the pH and sarcomere length. Color (L*, a*, and b*) values were evaluated on both breast skin and skinless breast surfaces. Meat tenderness was evaluated using the breast fillets after overnight storage and cooking to an internal temperature of 76°C. The carcasses in the SSC and WIC-SSC showed shorter chilling times (85-91 min) than those (100-144 min) of WIC and WWIC-WIC. A higher chilling yield was observed for the carcasses in WIC-SSC, and a lower cooking yield was seen for the carcasses in WWIC-WIC than other chilling methods (P < 0.05). The breast fillets of broilers in the SSC and WIC-SSC showed lower shear forces and longer sarcomere length than the WIC and WWIC-WIC. No difference was found for L* and a* values, while lower b* value was observed in the SSC than the other chilling methods (P < 0.05). Based on these results, chilling of broiler carcasses in the SSC (4% NaCl/-2.41°C) with or without prechilling in WIC at 0.5°C significantly improved chilling efficiency and meat tenderness, with minor color changes on carcasses.

Comparative study on the effects of sous-vide, microwave cooking, and stewing on functional properties and sensory quality of goose meat

The effect of sous-vide (SV), microwave (M) cooking, and stewing (S) on selected functional properties of goose meat were investigated in this study. It was measured cooking loss (CL), texture and color parameters, and sensory evaluation was carried out. The material were 96 breast muscles (BM, n=48 with skin and subcutaneous fat and n=48 without skin) from 17-wk-old "Polish oat geese." The kind of heat treatment and the type of goose meat and interaction the type of meat×heat treatment affected the amount of CL. The lowest value of CL was stated for SV samples. The meat with skin was characterized by a lower shear force value (SF), hardness, gumminess, and chewiness than samples without skin for all cooking methods. There were no differences in SF value for M and S samples with skin. The S samples characterized by the highest value of SF, hardness and the SV meat by the lowest for both kind of meat. The M samples characterized by the higher value of cohesiveness, gumminess and chewiness compare to SV and S meat. All instrumental color parameters were significantly affected by cooking technology (P=0.001). There were differences in color lightness (L*) of investigated cooked samples. The SV meat had the highest value of L* parameter and was characterized by a lighter color among others. The highest decrease in a* value was stated for S and lowest for SV meat. The SV showed more intense red color than remaining samples. The a* value decreased and b* parameter increases with an increase the heat treatment temperature. The value of b* was higher in S (about 100°C) samples than in raw meat and processed by SV (70°C). From consumer point of view the best color had goose breast muscles subjected to SV process. Considering all tested sensory features, the overall palatability of SV goose samples was rated as excellent, S as very good and M as good.

Semi-Automated Phenotypic Analysis of Functional 3D Spheroid Cell Cultures.

We present a protocol that describes the properties and advantages of using a standalone clinostat incubator for growing, treating, and monitoring 3D cell cultures. The clinostat mimics an environment where cells can assemble as highly reproducible spheroids with low shear forces and active nutrient diffusion. We demonstrate that both cancer and non-cancer hepatocytes (HepG2/C3A and THLE-3 cell lines) require 3 weeks of growth prior to achieving functionalities comparable to liver cells. This protocol highlights the convenience of utilizing incubators for 3D cells with cameras monitoring the cell growth, as snapshots can be taken to count and measure spheroids upon treatment. We describe the comparison of THLE-3 and HepG2/C3A cell lines, showing how non-cancerous cell lines can be grown as well as immortalized cancer cells. We demonstrate and illustrate how proteomics experiments can be conducted from a few spheroids, which can be collected without perturbing cell signaling, i.e., no trypsinization required. We show that proteomics analysis can be used to monitor the typical liver phenotype of respiratory chain metabolism and the production of proteins involved in metal detoxification and describe a semi-automated system to count and measure the spheroid's area. Altogether, the protocol presents a toolbox that comprises a phenotypic characterization via image capture and a proteomics pipeline to experiment on 3D cell culture models.

Design of “Soft” Cleaning Processes for Emerging Substrates via Stimuli Responsive Chemistry

The Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) process (polishing and substrate cleaning) results in defects that can be classified as mechanical (i.e., scratching), chemical (i.e., corrosion), or physiochemical (i.e., adsorbed contaminants) according to the mechanism of formation. This work will focus on the rationale design of p-CMP cleaning systems for emerging materials (silicon carbide (SiC)) that activate the cleaning chemistry via external stimuli such as megasonic energy. More specifically, using megasonic energy in the presence of supramolecular assemblies such as micelles and vesicles was employed for a “soft” (low shear force) defect removal process. Results indicate a correlation between the structure of the “soft” cleaning additives and induced megasonic energy on overall simulated defect removal. It was determined that effective particle removal was a second-order kinetic process with a concentration dependency (i.e. above and below the critical micelle concentration (CMC)) emerging as a key driver for the defect removal rate. Although, one apparent drawback is the generation of post-cleaning carbon residue due to the adsorption of the supramolecular structures to the SiC substrate.

Realizing the AF4-UV-SAXS on-line coupling on protein and antibodies using high flux synchrotron radiation at the CoSAXS beamline, MAX IV.

In this paper, we demonstrate the coupling of synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to asymmetrical flow-field flow fractionation (AF4) for protein characterization. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time AF4 is successfully coupled to a synchrotron for on-line measurements on proteins. This coupling has potentially high impact, as it opens the possibility to characterize individual constituents of sensitive and/or complex samples, not suited for separation using other techniques, and for low electron density samples where high X-ray flux is required, e.g., biomolecules and biologics. AF4 fractionates complex samples in native or close to native environment, with low shear forces and system surface area. Many orders of magnitude in size can be fractionated in one measurement, without having to reconfigure the experimental setup. We report AF4 fractionations with correlated UV and statistically adequate SAXS data of bovine serum albumin and a monoclonal antibody and evaluate SAXS data recorded for the two protein systems.

Cobalt phosphate octahydrates nanoflowers as oil-base additives for enhanced tribological performance

Recently, nanomaterial lubricant additives have attracted the attention of tribologists. Herein, a novel cobalt phosphate octahydrates (CoP) nanoflower was synthesized, and as an oil-base additive, CoP exhibited extraordinary tribological performance for titanium alloy. Compared with the pure PAO8, the friction coefficient (COF) and wear rate (WR) has been reduced by 69.77% and 99.27% at a concentration of 10 wt% CoP. Besides, SEM, EDS, and XPS characterization confirmed that CoP could fill and repair the surface of titanium alloy to make the worn surface smoother, and be deposited on the surface to form a deposition layer to protect the titanium alloy from severe wear. The low shear force between CoP nanosheets in the deposition layer promotes lubrication, achieving low COF.

A Comparative Study on Meat Quality Characteristics of Murrah Buffalo and Nellore Cattle Commercialized in Southeastern Brazil

Murrah buffalo and Nellore cattle meat commercialized in Southeastern Brazil were evaluated during aging. Ribeye steaks (Longissimus thoracis muscle) were analyzed during four wet aging times (0, 7, 14, and 21 days) stored at 2 ± 1 °C. The water holding capacity (WHC) decreased (p &lt; 0.05) during aging (0.41 to 0.28), with buffalo meat having (p &lt; 0.05) lower pH and a higher WHC than beef. Lower myofibrillar fragmentation index and shear force (WBsSF) values were observed (p &lt; 0.05) in buffalo meat. Soluble collagen content increased (p &lt; 0.05) during aging, with lower (p &lt; 0.05) values in buffalo meat. Buffalo meat had (p &lt; 0.05) higher metmyoglobin percentages, being darker (lower L* values) and with a higher red color intensity (higher C* values) than beef. There was a difference between buffalo meat and beef volatile compound profiles, with greater variation in the beef profile during aging, probably due to differences in lipid oxidation and proteolysis. It can be concluded that buffalo meat is very similar to that of Zebu cattle, with less variation during aging and greater tenderness than beef. Therefore, buffalo meat is a good alternative source for fresh marketing and processing of high-quality meat products.

Performance, carcass, and meat traits of locally adapted Brazilian cattle breeds under feedlot conditions.

Little is known about the performance, carcass, and meat traits of locally adapted cattle in Brazil. This study aimed to compare the growth, slaughter, and carcass traits as well as meat quality of two local breeds (Curraleiro Pé-Duro and Pantaneiro) with the Nelore breed. Fifteen 30-month-old steers of each breed were weighted (Curraleiro Pé-Duro = 264.80 kg; Nelore = 346.80 kg; Pantaneiro = 316.20 kg) and raised in a feedlot condition for 112 days, with measurements to assess growth and slaughter, visual and carcass and meat traits. Data were submitted to variance and multivariate analyses. Nelore and Curraleiro Pé-Duro had similar Gluteus medius depths. Pantaneiro and Curraleiro Pé-Duro were superior for leg compactness index (P < 0.05) and had higher eye muscle area than Nelore (P < 0.05). Although there was no difference in daily weight gain and slaughter weight between breeds, Curraleiro Pé-Duro had a lower initial weight (264.80 kg) when compared to Nelore (346.80 kg; P < 0.05). Nelore and Curraleiro Pé-Duro deposited more fat than Pantaneiro (P < 0.05), while Curraleiro Pé-Duro and Pantaneiro had more muscle than Nelore (P < 0.05), which also had more bone and a higher percentage of second-quality cuts (P < 0.05). Meat from Nelore also showed lower succulence than Pantaneiro (P < 0.05) and higher shear force than the other breeds (P < 0.05). Pantaneiro's meat had the most capacity to retain water (P < 0.05), lower shear force (P < 0.05), and was more succulent (P < 0.05) when compared to the other breeds. Multivariate analysis showed that Pantaneiro, Curraleiro Pé-Duro, and Nelore breeds can be considered distinct in growth, carcass, and meat traits, with the local breeds showing superior meat traits. The local breeds Curraleiro Pé-Duro and Pantaneiro presented characteristics similar or better to those of the Nelore, proving to be animals with great productive potential and generate high meat quality under feedlot conditions.

Hemostatic disorders in patients with infective endocarditis undergoing urgent surgical valve replacement – Rethinking current beliefs

BackgroundAlthough infective endocarditis (IE) represents a unique model of thrombo-inflammatory disease, the most frequent early complications of surgical valve replacement (SVR) in IE population are coagulopathy and bleeding. The hemostatic capacity and procedure-related coagulation disorders of IE patients undergoing SVR are unknown. The aims of this study were to test periprocedural hemostasis in IE patients undergoing urgent SVR, and to assess the association between disorders of hemostasis and early bleeding as well as with thromboembolic events. MethodsA prospective, two-center, hypothesis generating, observational study was performed between Dec 2017 and Jan 2020. Periprocedural hemostasis of IE patients was assessed using Total Thrombus-formation Analysis System (T-TAS Plus) within 24 h before and 72 h post SVR. ResultsOverall, 25 patients with active IE undergoing urgent SVR were tested. Hemostatic capacity of IE patients was significantly impaired pre-SVR as well as post-SVR compared to normal values, in most aspects of T-TAS assays under high and low shear forces, including prolonged activation of coagulation (T10), final clot formation (OT) and clot strength (AUC30). Post-SVR T-TAS results were significantly associated with early bleeding and with red blood cell, platelet, and fresh frozen plasma administration. No association with thrombo-embolic events was found. ConclusionsPatients with active IE undergoing urgent SVR have significantly reduced hemostatic capacity before and after SVR. Hemostatic insufficiency post-SVR is related to bleeding and blood products transfusion. T-TAS may be helpful in assessment of periprocedural hemostasis in patients with IE undergoing SVR.

Combination of ultrasound treatment and starter culture for improving the quality of beef jerky

The effects of treatment by ultrasound (US), inoculation of Pediococcus acidilactici BP2 strain (BP), and their combination (US-BP) on the quality characteristics of beef jerky were investigated during fermentation for 6 days. Moisture contents and water activity were highest after the US and US-BP treatments (P < 0.05). These effects were attributed to the decreased moisture mobility in beef jerky during ultrasonication. Meanwhile, samples treated with US and US-BP displayed more broken muscle fibers and larger gaps and cavities between the adjacent muscle bundles, resulting in lower shear force values compared to the other samples (P < 0.05), which indicated that the US and US-BP treatments improved the tenderness of beef jerky. Moreover, treatment with BP promoted the flavor development of beef jerky. The US-BP treatment improved the sensory attributes of beef jerky. In conclusion, US-BP is a promising strategy to improve the quality of beef jerky.

Tribological properties and lubrication mechanism of manganese phosphate trihydrate as lubricant additives

A deeper insight into two interacting frictional surfaces in nanosized spaces, especially the molecular groups at interfaces is considered to be important to friction reduction. In this paper, we report Mn3(PO4)2·3 H2O (MnP) nanosheets with loosely packed structure and high porosity as oil-base additives that can achieve good dispersion in oil because of their adsorption with strong capillary effect. Lubrication with MnP additives for titanium alloy, the average friction coefficient (COF) and wear rate (WR) can be reduced by 66.81 % and 98.78 %, respectively. It was confirmed that the extraordinary friction-reducing property was due to the solid-liquid interface with Coulomb repulsion between polar groups on MnP nanosheet and non-polar oil molecules, which resulted in a slip surface with low viscous shear force. The shear force of this solid-liquid interface was correlated with the different oxygen contents and the viscosity of lubricating oil, which showed different intermolecular forces. Additionally, any connectivity between this solid-liquid interface would increase the adhesion, for example, hydrogen bondings and dispersant. Our results establish a lubrication interface with Coulomb repulsion that can improve the tribological behavior of lubricating oil.

A novel low shear horizontal bioreactor design for the production of animal cells: Effect of bioreactor dynamics on the 3D spheroid formation of HepG2

Studies were carried out on a novel bioreactor designed for the production of animal cells. The aim is, to provide 3D cell proliferation under the influence of low gravity together with gentle mixing and low shear stress. HepG2 cells were used in the experiments to show that this bioreactor can provide low shear forces and a micro-gravity effect considering the results from its Computational Flow Dynamics (CFD) analyses. This bioreactor design has a horizontally positioned cylindrical body and two U-shaped agitators placed opposite to each other. This opposing blade formation, has a reducing effect on each other's hydrodynamic forces and forms a region with low shear stress character in the center of the bioreactor. First of all, the hydrodynamic forces formed inside this bioreactor, which was designed on the basis of CFD simulations, were examined. Afterwards, this novel designed low shear horizontal bioreactor (LSB-R) was manufactured according to the CFD analysis, and simulations. Then, production trials were conducted to determine the success of LSB-R in spheroid production. Thus, by evaluating results obtained from the production trials in accordance with cell culture, it has been shown that LSB-R, which design and patenting phase has been completed, can provide low shear stress.

Preparation of homogeneous super-circular alumina microspheres in microchannels by controlling extraction and motion processes

The sol–gel technique combined with microfluidics is an effective approach for the preparation of microspheres. The formation and solidification of the sol can be influenced by the motion and extraction processes. The effects of extraction and motion were investigated using a real-time moisture content test, in situ observations, and CFD simulations. The microspheres retained their homogeneous internal structure with a narrow pore distribution when the extraction rate was less than 1 × 10−4 ml/min·mm2, whereas extraction rates greater than 2 × 10−4 ml/min·mm2 resulted in clear hollows and stacking. A continuous phase devoid of extraction capability results in an internal hierarchy and bimodal pore size. Higher surface tension (greater than 4 mN/m) and lower fluid shear forces promoted high sphericity. These novel methods offer a promising approach for the preparation of alumina microspheres with a high spherical degree of 0.987 by matching the motion and extraction curing techniques.

Carcass composition, meat quality, leg muscle status, and its mRNA expression profile in broilers affected by valgus-varus deformity

Valgus-varus deformity (VVD) is a common leg disease in commercial broilers, which seriously affects animal welfare and causes economic losses. Up to now, most of the studies on VVD have been on skeleton, whereas there are fewer studies on VVD muscle. In this study, carcass composition and meat quality of 35-day-old normal and VVD Cobb broilers assess the effect of VVD on broiler growth. Molecular biology, morphology, and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) were used to study the difference between normal and VVD gastrocnemius muscle. In comparison with the normal broilers, the breast muscle and leg muscle of the VVD broilers had lower shear force, notably lower crude protein, lower water content, cooking loss, and deeper meat color (P < 0.05). The morphological results showed that the weight of skeletal muscle was significantly higher in the normal broilers than that in the VVD broilers (P < 0.01), the diameter and area of myofibrils in the affected VVD were smaller than in the normal broilers (P < 0.01). Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) of gastrocnemius muscle revealed that the expression of myasthenic marker genes, fast myofiber marker genes, and apoptosis-related factors were significantly higher in the VVD broilers than in the normal broilers (P < 0.01). In total, 736 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified firstly in the normal and VVD leg muscle by RNA-seq. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment indicated that these DEGs were mainly involved in the multicellular organismal process and anatomical structure development. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that DEGs are significantly enriched in proteasome. Protein interaction analysis obtained that DEGs with high interaction were proteasome-related coding genes and ubiquitin-related genes, these DEGs were closely associated with muscle atrophy. These show that VVD has an adverse effect on growth characteristics, slaughter characteristics, and meat quality in broilers, which may cause leg muscle atrophy. This study provides some reference values and basis for studying the pathogenesis of VVD in broilers.