Emodin, a major component of Rheum palmatum, has been reported to significantly protect neural tissue against apoptosis and autophagy. However, the effects and underlying mechanisms of action of emodin in muscle atrophy are still poorly defined. In this study, we investigated the protective effects and the underlying mechanisms by which emodin acts on tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-induced apoptosis and autophagy in mouse C2C12 myoblasts. Emodin, at various concentrations, decreased TNF-α-induced apoptosis in C2C12 myoblasts, which were analyzed by Hoechst 33342 staining and annexin V/PI analysis. Emodin also inhibited the collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential and the generation of reactive oxygen species in TNF-α-stimulated C2C12 myoblasts. Consistent with these results, the expression of Bcl-2 was increased, whereas the expression of Bax, cleaved-caspase 3 and cleaved-PARP was decreased after emodin treatment. These data demonstrate that emodin attenuated apoptosis in TNF-α-stimulated C2C12 myoblasts through mitochondrial signaling pathways. In addition, emodin inhibited autophagy in TNF-α-stimulated C2C12 myoblasts by suppressing the expression of LC3-II, Beclin-1 and Atg7. Emodin also resulted in the upregulation of the phosphorylated forms of Akt. Taken together, these results suggest that emodin inhibited apoptosis and autophagy in TNF-α-induced C2C12 myoblasts, possibly through the activation of phosphorylated Akt. Our findings suggest that emodin could be a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of muscle atrophy.

Prenatal examination is a pivotal measure to prevent high-risk pregnancy and to ensure the safety of both mother and infant. However, pregnant women in Linzhi Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) often cannot obtain regular prenatal examinations due to limited accessibility of healthcare facilities, shortage of medical staff, and lack of medical equipment. Health education is an important approach to solve this ever-growing issue of pregnant women in rural Tibet. To evaluate the efficacy of flexible methods of health education programs on improving compliance among pregnant women from Tibet, China. In May to November of 2018, a total of 168 pregnant women receiving prenatal examination in a tertiary referral hospital in Linzhi Prefecture were recruited and randomly assigned to a control (n = 85) and intervention group (n = 83). All pregnant women were followed up until delivery. The pregnant women in the control group received regular prenatal examination and health education programs. Other than receiving routine prenatal care, participants of the interventional group also voluntarily joined the WeChat Social Messaging platform. Online resources posted by the maternity schools provided convenience and flexibility for the pregnant woman. The number of prenatal examinations was statistically significant between the 2 groups. The effect of flexible patterns of health education programs on improving the compliance of pregnant women in Tibet was assessed. The number of prenatal examinations in the intervention group was 2.646 times, which was higher than that in the control group (P < .01). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that interventional measures and ethnicity were the influencing factors of the number of prenatal examinations for pregnant women in Linzhi after the adjustment of age, history of adverse pregnancy, education level, ethnicity, multiparity, gestational complications, and medical history. The number of prenatal examinations for the pregnant Tibetan women was 0.535 times lower compared with that of the pregnant Han women (95% CI: –0.089, 1.157, P = .091). Flexible forms of health education during the antenatal period can effectively increase the compliance of pregnant women in Tibet.

ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of quality of life (QOL) on unhealthy emotions as well as relevant factors among patients with endometriosis for supporting relevant clinical care.MethodsA convenience sampling method was used to administer questionnaires to 139 patients with endometriosis, using the Hamilton Anxiety Inventory (HAMA), the Depression Anxiety Scale (SDS), and the SF-12 Health Survey Short Form, and the results were analyzed. The SPSS20.0 software was used for statistical analysis on relevant data. If P &lt; 0.05, there was statistical significance.ResultsTwelve-Item Short Form (SF-12) for health survey covered two comprehensive indexes, i.e., physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores. MCS score was the main factor influencing anxiety and depression in patients with endometriosis; the higher the MCS score, the lower the anxiety and depression degrees in patients with endometriosis (OR = 0.912, 95% CI: 0.877–0.949; OR = 0.899, 95% CI: 0.866–0.933). PCS score was a factor influencing anxiety degree; the higher the PCS score, the lower the anxiety degree (OR = 0.936, 95% CI: 0.891–0.983).ConclusionThe QOL of patients with endometriosis is negatively correlated with anxiety and depression. Therefore, improvement in QOL may help relevant patients to relieve their unhealthy emotions.

BackgroundTo analyze the anxiety, depression, and related factors among pregnant women with cervical insufficiency, so as to provide a reference for clinical psychological intervention as an adjuvant therapy.MethodsA total of 101 cases in China with cervical insufficiency were included in the observation group by a convenience sampling method, and 114 normal healthy women of childbearing age were selected as the control group. Participants were investigated and observed for anxiety and depression by SAS and SDS, respectively, to analyze the emotional state and influencing factors of the patients with cervical insufficiency. Stratified by the first, second and third trimesters, our study used whether depressive or not and whether anxiety or not as the dichotomous variables. A multivariate Logistic regression was adopted to analyze the influencing factors. Relevant influencing factors were screened out by the forward stepwise method in combination with professional knowledge and the number of variables.ResultsThere were statistical significant differences in SAS and SDS between observation group and control group and the incidence rate of anxiety and depression was higher in pregnant women with CI. Multivariate Logistic regression demonstrated that history of abnormal pregnancy was the main influencing factor for anxiety and depression in the early and middle gestation phases, and cervical insufficiency was the factor influencing the anxiety in early gestation and both anxiety and depression in the late gestation phase.ConclusionCervical insufficiency may have a negative impact on the emotions of pregnant women. Individualized and targeted mental care should be added into clinic work to prevent negative outcomes.