Healthy Living

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 atherosclerosis. 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 that are described 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!