Although music is part of virtually all cultures in the world, little is known about how it affects us. Since the beginning of this century several studies suggested that the response to music, and to sound in general, is complex and might not be exclusively due to emotion, given that cell types other than auditory hair cells can also directly react to audible sound. The present study was designed to better understand the direct effects of acoustic vibrations, in the form of music, in human cells in culture. Our results suggest that the mechanisms of cell growth arrest and/or cell death induced by acoustic vibrations are similar for auditory and non- auditory cells.
Despite being an integral part of virtually all cultures in the world, little is known about how music affects us. A number of studies suggest that music may be useful in medical care, alleviating stress and nociception in patients undergoing surgical procedures, as well as in cancer and burned patients but the mechanisms by which these effects occur are still unidentified. It is commonly accepted that the effects of music are secondary to emotional responses, but Møller and Pedersen affirmed that vibrotactile sensations and a feeling of pressure might also occur in the chest and throat while hearing sounds.
Since the beginning of this century several studies suggested that the response to music, and to sound in general, is complex and might not be exclusively due to emotion, given that cell types other than auditory hair cells can also directly react to audible sound. For example, it has been shown that sound wave stimulation makes significant changes to protein structure of tobacco cells, producing an increase in α helix and a decrease in β turn; also, sound stimulation produced effects on the cell cycle of Chrysanthemum and in the callus growth of Dendranthema morifolium. More recently, it was demonstrated that the tonal sounds of 1 kHz and 5 kHz promoted the growth of Escherichia coli.
When considering mammalian cells, an increase in corticosterone serum levels after environmental noise exposure and a long-term reduction of proliferating cells in the hippocampal of noise exposed rats were observed, suggesting that exposure to chronic environmental noise at young ages produces persistent impairment to nonauditory cells, altering cell proliferation in the hippocampal formation. It has also been shown that a frequency of 261 Hz was able to alter the growth of human gingival fibroblasts in culture and recently we showed that music (and not only pure frequencies) can lead to several effects in human cells in culture, altering cell cycle, proliferation, viability, and binding of hormone. Since music is a summation of several sound frequencies, and since sound is indeed a mechanical vibration, which can cause mechanical stress, it seems not odd that music can cause direct effects in mammalian cells. The present report was thus designed to better understand the direct effects of acoustic vibrations in the form of music in human cells in culture.
In a previous study, it showed that music could act directly on MCF-7, a human breast cancer cell line, altering cell cycle, proliferation, and viability. In the present report we extend our studies, trying to understand such effects and evaluating whether they could be observed in other cell types. Interestingly, although we tested four cell lines, we noticed that only the breast cancer cell line MBA-MD-231 reacted to music and that such reaction was different from that previously observed for MCF-7 cells. Possible explanations for this fact could be that the human erythroleukemia cell lines, being from blood origin, retain characteristics that help them to cope with mechanical stress. The same argument may be plausible for MDCK cells: being from distal nephron origin, they are familiar with mechanical stress due to tubular flow. Therefore, it is possible that the absence of response of these cell lines was related to their origins. This hypothesis takes into account that in vitro direct effects of music in non-auditory cells are related to mechanical stress, which is reasonable, since music is, after all, a mechanical vibration, which can cause mechanical stress. However, at present it is not possible to say whether such stress occurs externally (in the culture medium), inside cells themselves or both.
It was observed that the two breast cancer cell lines reacted to music in different ways. While Mozart’s composition did not alter cell viability of MCF-7 cells, it led MDA-MD-231 to apoptosis. Moreover, the speaker alone was able to significantly reduce MDA-MD-231 viability, while it had no effect on MCF-7 cells. Moreover, the compositions of Beethoven and Mozart inhibited MDA-MB-231 migration, without altering cell viability. These results suggest that the cellular response to music, and perhaps to sound in general, is dependent not only on the nature of the sound, but also on intrinsic characteristics of the cellular type. Since this is the second report about the direct effects of music in nonauditory cells in culture, more studies are needed to achieve comprehension of these phenomena.
SOURCE: Lestard, N. and Capella, M. (2016) Evidence Based Complement Alternative Medicine. 2016; 2016: 6849473.
MUSIC PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH
ADVISORY BOARD
Maestra Celeste S. Sanchez, MT
Ms. Maricel G. Morales, Viva Artist
Prof. Shedy Dee C. Mallari, RPm, LPT
Ms. Karen M. Atendido, Seiko Artist
Ms. Maria Blessilda M. Bascon, RN, LPT
Maestro Conrado Manuel N. Del Rosario
Dr. Peter Charles Kutschera, PhD, LMSW
Dr. Homer J. Yabut, PhD, RPsy
Prof. Alain Bernard A. Andal, MA, LPT, RPm, RGC
Pastor Robert Albios
Atty. Francisco S. Yabut
Instructor John Vernon Nuguid
Instructor Manuel S. Cordero
Instructor Dareen L. Bonzon
Prof. Jose Maria G. Pelayo III, MASD, MP-MT
Music Psychology Research (2010), Angeles City, Philippines, aims to update empirical data that is essential for music psychology research. This group of academic researchers are committed to ensure creative and dynamic approaches that utilizes music in any form of program development and psychotherapy. The Advisory Board Members are academic professionals contributing their specific expertise in Psychology, Neuroscience and Music.
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