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Healthy Living

It is our intent to keep our customers up to date on the latest developments in health. Specifically, we wish to provide a down to earth iteration of medical research abstracts and corroborate news headlines in relation to wine and health.

Health: Endothelin-1 synthesis reduced by red wine

ROGER CORDER, JULIE A. DOUTHWAITE, DELPHINE M. LEES, NOORAFZA Q. KHAN, ANA CAROLINA VISEU DOS SANTOS, ELIZABETH G. WOOD & MARTIN J. CARRIER
Nature 2001 Dec 20/27;414:863-864

Statistical evidence of reduced coronary heart disease in areas of high wine consumption has led to the widespread belief that wine affords a protective effect. Although moderate drinking of any alcohol helps to reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease, there is no clear evidence that red wine confers an additional benefit. Here we show that red wines strongly inhibit the synthesis of endothelin-1, a vasoactive peptide that is crucial in the development of coronary arteriosclerosis. Our findings indicate that components specific to red wine may help to prevent coronary heart disease.

What this means?

UK researchers have zeroed in on compounds in red wine that battle a protein linked to heart disease -- a finding that provides clues to why the French have relatively low rates of heart disease despite a national diet rich in creamy cheese and buttery desserts. The investigators found that polyphenols -- compounds in grape skins and present in red wine -- decrease the production of a protein that causes blood vessels to constrict and reduces the flow of oxygen to the heart. The protein, endothelin-1 (ET-1), is believed to play a key role in the development of heart disease. Their findings support the results of earlier studies showing that a moderate intake of red wine may lower the risk of heart disease. But while these studies focused on the antioxidant properties of polyphenols -- their ability to quench disease-causing free radicals in the body -- the results of the new study suggest a new mechanism by which red wine might bring benefits. Red wine polyphenols inhibit protein tyrosine kinases, a group of enzymes that play a key role in cell regulation. Compounds that inhibit these enzymes have been shown to suppress endothelin production. The effects we describe are completely unrelated to any antioxidant properties of polyphenols. Of supreme interest to our readers is the fact that in this study, Valpolicella (Corvina and Molinara only) and Sangiovese based wines had a very low IC50 values 5.3 and 2.7 respectively, which is the concentration of each wine or juice extract causing a 50% reduction in basal ET-1 synthesis over 6h. Simple put these wines were found To protect the heart better!

Bonum vinum laetificat cor hominum.

Stoclet JC.
Med Sci Monit 2001 Jul-Aug;7(4):842-7

Beneficial effects of wine consumption on health have been suspected since the antiquity. Recent epidemiological studies show that coronary heart disease mortality markedly decreases from northern to southern Europe and is lower in Mediterranean than in other developed countries. Because wine is a component of the Mediterranean diet, it has been suggested that moderate wine especially red wine consumption may produce additional beneficial effects on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality compared to consuming the same quantitiy of alcohol in other beverages. Polyphenols are good candidates to explain the putative cardiovascular protective effect of wine, because they are abundant in wine especially red wine, and possess antioxidant and superoxide ion scavenging properties. Because it is readily accessible from blood and produces cardioprotective agents like nitric oxide (NO) the endothelial cell may be a privileged target for wine polyphenols. Polyphenols from red wine can prevent oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDL). As oxidized LDL inhibit agonist-activated NO release from endothelial cells and subsequent endothelium-dependent relaxation of arteries, wine polyphenols might prevent LDL-induced alterations of endothelial function. Furthermore some wine polyphenols contained in oligomeric condensed tannins- and anthocyaninsD enriched fractions can act directly on endothelial cells to cause calcium-dependent release of NO. The latter effect is independent from superoxide scavenging and antioxidant properties of the polyphenols, and it is produced by compounds with specific structures only. Thus, decreased oxidation of LDL and enhanced release of NO from endothelium caused by polyphenols from red wine may result in cardiovascular protection. However further studies are required to demonstrate whether or not these effects are involved in the putative protective effect of wine on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

What this means?

This article explores the putative molecular mechanisms related to the beneficial effects that wine has on the cardiovascular system. The author has found a somewhat compelling amount of evidence that suggests that endothelial cells (those cells that line the arterial blood vessels) may actually be the target of some of the polyphenolic compounds (biologically active organic chemical agents). The article draws our attention to gaps in our understanding of related health mechanisms. The author postulates that low density lipoprotein (LDL), oxidation of endothelial cells may be prevented by cardioprotective components in wine, chiefly the polyphenolics. Interestingly enough this study comes from the University of Louis Pasteur of Strasbourg France.

Analysis of wine for penicillin.

Morris G, Yuan J, Williams R.
J Chromatogr Sci 2001 Aug;39(8):321-4.

This study addresses the question of whether the antibiotic Penicillin, which is produced by the common mold Penicillium notatum, could possibly become a contaminate of wine during the fermentation process. The significance of this study is related to the potential health effects this agent might produce in those consumers who have an allergic response to Penicillin. It has been estimated that between 6% and 8% of the American population is subject to this type of allergic response. A method is developed for the detection of penicillin in wines using high-pressure liquid chromatography. We demonstrate that penicillin G hydrolyzes rapidly in wine with first-order kinetics, and the half-life of this antibiotic is 147 min in a typical commercial wine. An analysis of a number of commercial wines shows no evidence of the presence of penicillin, which should negate the question of any allergic response associated with this potential contaminate.

What this means?

This study attempted to characterize the potential cause for negative reaction to wine typical in the American population. The authors have postulated that penicillin mold may be able to contaminate wine during the fermenation process. The penicillin may become an agent in wine that causes an allergic response in 6% to 8% of Americans. The authors have presented experimentation that has developed a new way to detect this type of contamination in wines. It was the authors' contention that after analysis of commercial wines by high performance liquid chromatography, penicillin is an unlikely contaminate.