Cardiomyopathy induced by doxorubicin (DOX) was recognized at an early stage and also several years after drug administration. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have many properties that make them suitable for preventive and/or regenerative therapies. In this study, we evaluated the effect of MSCs in the functional and the structural improvement of DOX-induced cardiomyopathy in rats. Ninety adult male albino rats were randomly divided into three equal groups of thirty rats each: Group I (control): rats received normal saline. Group II (DOX- group): rats received DOX. Group III (DOX-MSCs group): rats received DOX for 2 weeks then human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs). Rats in all groups were evaluated for: physical condition, electrocardiography (ECG), and hemodynamic parameters. Serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI), malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and DNA fragmentation on heart tissue isolated DNA were estimated for evaluation of the mechanism and the extent of the damage. Hearts were examined histopathologically for detection of MSCs homing, structural evaluation, with counting of the collagen fibers for evaluation of fibrosis. DOX-administered rats showed significant functional and structural deterioration. DOX-MSCs treated rats (group III) showed improved functional and structural criteria with restoration of all biochemical indicators of cardiac damage and reactive oxygen species (ROS) to normal, as well. In Conclusion, hUCB-MSCs significantly ameliorated the cardiotoxic manifestations as shown by biochemical, functional, and structural cardiac improvement. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 3119-3129, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Introductioneffective communication in a clinical environment plays a vital role in patient assessment and treatment. The aim of this study was to understand the experiences of Malaysian medical students concerning communication barriers during clinical practice. The goal was to provide answers for three important research questions, i.e., 1) Are communication barriers an impediment to Malaysian students during clinical teaching? 2) What is the nature of the language barriers that the students encounter? and 3) What are the best ways of reducing these barriers during clinical teaching?MethodsThe qualitative method was used to conduct the research, and open-ended questionnaires were used to collect the data. The study was conducted on 95 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-year students, 80% of whom completed the study.ResultsMedical students from Malaysia who have limited knowledge of the Arabic language experience some difficulties in communicating with staff members, patients, and nurses during their clinical practices.ConclusionSuccessful orientation of students to the language used in the clinical environment will help the students overcome the communication barriers they encounter during their clinical practices.

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