Key result
Red wines demonstrated a dose-dependent vasodilator effect in small resistance arteries from both hypertensive and normotensive subjects, which was more potent than ethanol alone.
Why the study?
Do red wines induce vasodilator effects in subcutaneous small resistance arteries of patients with essential hypertension?
Do red wines induce vasodilator effects in subcutaneous small resistance arteries of patients with essential hypertension?
Red wines exert a potent, NO-independent vasodilator effect on human small resistance arteries, which is preserved in patients with essential hypertension.
Hypothesis-generating for red wine components in hypertension; should not change practice pending clinical trials.
BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that in animal models, red wine may have a protective effect on the vascular endothelium. However, it is not known whether this effect is also present in human small vessels and whether it is specific for certain wines. The objective of this study is to compare the vasodilator effects in subcutaneous small resistance arteries of wines with different flavonoid content as well as of ethanol vs. wines in normotensive (NT) subjects and in patients with essential hypertension (EH). METHODS: Twenty-six EH and 27 NT were included in the study. Subcutaneous small resistance arteries were dissected and mounted on a micromyograph. Then we evaluated vasodilator responses as concentration-response curves (20, 30, and 50 microl) to the following items: (i) a red wine produced in small oak barrels ("en barrique": EB) (Barolo Oberto 1994), (ii) a red wine produced in large wood barrels (LB) (Barolo Scarzello 1989), (iii) a red wine produced in steel tanks (Albarello Rosso del Salento 1997), and (iv) a white wine produced in steel tanks in the presence or absence of an inhibitor of the nitric oxide (NO) synthase (L-NMMA 100 micromol/l). RESULTS: A dose-dependent vasodilator effect of red wines (particularly EB and LB) was detected in both NT and HT. The observed response was not reduced after preincubation with L-NMMA. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest red wines are more potent vasodilator than ethanol alone, possibly depending on the content of polyphenols or tannic acid. HT show similar responses compared with NT, indicating that red wine is not harmful in this population.
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Porteri et al. (2010) studied Essential hypertension (n=53). Red wines with different flavonoid content vs. Ethanol alone and white wine was evaluated on Vasodilator responses in subcutaneous small resistance arteries. Red wines demonstrated a dose-dependent vasodilator effect in small resistance arteries from both hypertensive and normotensive subjects, which was more potent than ethanol alone.
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