Effects of Music and Stress on Healing of Induced Wound in the Skin of Adult Male Albino Rats

Abstract

Background: Wound healing is a complex process involving intrinsic dermal and epidermal cells, and infiltrating macrophages and leukocytes.Noise and music exposure have long been used to investigate their effects on biological and biochemical responses.Objectives: Studyingthe possible acceleration effect of the process of wound healing after exposure to music, and the stressor effect after exposure to noise.Materials and Methods: Forty adult male albino rats of local strain were chosen as an animal model for this study. They were divided into four equal groups:Control group, wound group, stress-exposed group andmusic-exposed group. On the day of infection, superficial surgical wounds were produced on the shaved backs of anesthetized rats by making a longitudinal midline incision, 2.3 ± 0.2 cm in length and extending down to the panniculuscarnosus.At the end of the experiment (30 days), blood samples were obtained for estimation of WBC, neutrophils, lymphocytes and platelets count. Immediately after the animals were killed, 5-mm punch biopsy specimens of excised skin were taken, and immediately fixed in phosphate-buffered (pH 7.4) formalin (4%).Results: Stress-exposed group showed significant increase in both WBCs and neutrophils counts, and significant decrease in both lymphocytes and platelets counts. In music-exposed group, WBCs significantly increased and platelets significantly decreased. Histopathological examination revealed that the exposure to noise resulted in significantly slowed inflammatory process. This effect was demonstrated by increased infiltration of wounds with polymorphnuclear leucocytes (PMNL). The music exhibited significant acceleration of wound healing activity as compared to noise exposed group .The wound closure time was lesser, as well as the percentage of wound contraction was more. The epithelization of wound was found to be earlier as compared tonoise exposed group. Conclusion:Music has some antistressor effects and may accelerate wound healing.