title: Music, immunity and cancer.
abstract: The effects of music on the immune system and cancer development were evaluated in rodents subjected to sound stress. Animals were exposed daily to broad band noise around midnight and/or music for 5 hours on the following morning. Thymus and spleen cellularity, peripheral T lymphocyte population, the proliferative response of spleen cells to mitogen concanavalin A and natural killer cell activity were calculated in BALB/c mice. Sprague Dawley rats were injected i.v. with Walker 256 carcinosarcoma cells; 8 days later the rats were sacrificed and the number of metastatic nodules on the surface of the lungs was calculated macroscopically. Music reduced the suppressive effects of stress on immune parameters in mice and decreased the enhancing effects of stress on the development of lung metastases provoked by carcinosarcoma cells. Music enhanced the immune parameters and the anti-tumor response in unstressed rodents. Our data at present demonstrates that music can effectively reverse adverse effects of stress on the number and capacities of lymphocytes that are required for an optimal immunological response against cancer in rodents.
authors.affiliation: Neuroimmunology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15705, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Núñez
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mañá
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liñares
authors.forename: María P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Riveiro
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Balboa
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suárez-Quintanilla
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maracchi
authors.forename: Manuel Rey
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Méndez
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Freire-Garabal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002279:Carcinoma 256, Walker / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009146:Music; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley