This study investigated the stress-related metabolites and hormones in blood and compared the muscle structure to identify the reason for blood splash in Hanwoo beef. Five slaughter houses were selected based on the region (Seoul, Gimhae, Jungbu, Naju, and Goryung) and a previous blood splash record. In total, three-hundred eighty blood samples (n=380) and forty-two muscle tissues (n=42) of control and blood splash Hanwoo beef were collected during the slaughter process and beef grading. Blood metabolites were analyzed including glucose, lactate, creatinine, urea-N, and hormones such as cortisol and thyroxin. Muscle fiber, fiber bundle, and capillary wall thickness were measured under microscope. The concentrations of blood glucose, lactate, and urea-N were not significantly different between the control and the blood splash samples. Cortisol and thyroxin levels were not significantly different in both samples. In contrast, the creatinine level was significantly increased (p<0.05) in the blood splash samples. There were also no significant differences observed in muscle fiber, bundles, and capillary wall thickness between the control and the blood splash tissues. In conclusion, blood metabolites, hormones, and muscle fiber showed no differences between the control and the blood splash animal. However, increased creatinine levels may be used as an indicator for identifying blood splash prior to slaughter in Hanwoo.

Peripheral nerve injuries are very common in clinics and often result in severe functional deficits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of treadmill running and electro-acupuncture on nerve regeneration and functional recovery of muscle activity following sciatic nerve crush injury in a rat model. A comparative study was conducted over 30 days on 60 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats grouped into sham control (C), electro-acupuncture (EA), treadmill (T), and treadmill plus electro-acupuncture (TEA). The left sciatic nerve was crushed for 30 sec using a hemostatic forceps and functional activity was evaluated with sciatic functional tests, nerve conduct velocity, muscle weight, and histology at 10, 20, and 30 days after injury. Muscle weight was significantly (P<0.05) increased between days 10 and 30 in the TEA group. In histology, the degree of damage was scored as C > TEA > T > EA, although necrosis and fibrosis of muscle was observed only in the TEA group. The EA and TEA groups showed rapid recovery with better myelinated axons on day 10. These results suggest that application of the TEA method with balanced exercise is a useful treatment option for peripheral nerve injury regeneration and muscle activity.