Red wine is a complex chemical mixture of plant metabolites and ethanol, the exact composition of which is still not understood. Epidemiological evidence suggests that red wine is beneficial to the health, and in particular consumption has been shown to be inversely associated with cardiovascular disease. Clinical trials have shown beneficial cardioprotective effects for both the polyphenolic and the ethanol component of red wine. Because cardiovascular disease is increasingly being considered a condition of low-grade systemic inflammation, recent research has focused on the effects of red wine on the inflammatory biomarkers known to be associated with the development of atherosclerotic plaques. Chemokines have emerged as possible contributory factors in the recruitment of specific immune cells to the subendothelial spaces, leading to plaque formation. Because of this researchers are interested in the effects of components of red wine on specific chemokines.
The effects of the ethanol and polyphenolic components of wine have been investigated in 67 subjects at high risk of cardiovascular disease in a cross-over study1. Following a washout period, subjects received either red wine (30g/d of ethanol), de-alcoholised red wine, or gin (30g/d ethanol) before switching treatments. The results showed that the polyphenolic and ethanol component of the wine had different effects. Gin (ethanol), red wine (ethanol and polyphenols) and de-alcoholised red wine (polyphenols) caused a down regulation of CD40 antigen, CD40 ligand, interleukin 16 (IL-16), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). Red wine (ethanol and polyphenol) and de-alcoholised red wine (polyphenols) decreased interleukin 6 (IL-6) and intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and inhibited expression of lymphocyte function associated antigen 1 (LFA-1), Sialil-Lewis X and C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2). Gin (ethanol) and red wine (ethanol and polyphenols) decreased macrophage derived chemokine (MDC).
These results suggest that the ethanol and polyphenolic components of red wine may have differing effects on the biomarkers for inflammation associated with cardiovascular disease. This would explain the superior effect of red wine in comparison to white wine when considering cardiovascular risk. The phenolic component of red wine appears to modulate the leukocyte adhesion molecules, whereas the ethanol component may in combination with the phenolic components modulate soluble inflammatory mediators. There is likely a synergistic action between the two. Because the chemistry of red wine is so complex, and varies from wine to wine, it is very difficult to state which polyphenolic component is producing beneficial effect on inflammation. If the components of red wine are effectively modulating low grade inflammatory markers, it is likely that red wine would have health benefits against other conditions that also are characterised by low-grade inflammation.
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