Daily Red Wine Consumption Improves Vascular Function by a Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase-Dependent Pathway

• Published in: American journal of hypertension 2011-02, Vol.24 (2), p.162-168
• Main Authors: Botden, Ilse P.G., Langendonk, Janneke G., Meima, Marcel E., Boomsma, Frans, Seynhaeve, Ann L.B., Hagen, Timo L.M. ten, Danser, A.H. Jan, Sijbrands, Eric J.G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Alcohol Drinking; Animals; Arterial hypertension. Arterial hypotension; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Blood vessels and receptors; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cells, Cultured; Coronary Vessels - drug effects; Coronary Vessels - enzymology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Endothelial Cells - drug effects; Endothelial Cells - enzymology; Endothelin-1 - blood; Female; Forearm - blood supply; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Guanylate Cyclase - metabolism; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Medical sciences; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - drug effects; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - enzymology; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Perfusion; Plethysmography; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear - metabolism; Regional Blood Flow - drug effects; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase; Swine; Time Factors; Vasodilation - drug effects; Vasodilator Agents - pharmacology; Vertebrates: cardiovascular system; Wine; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0895-7061; 1879-1905; 1941-7225
• DOI: 10.1038/ajh.2010.227

Background Polyphenols in red wine are supposed to improve endothelial function. We investigated whether daily red wine consumption improves in-vivo vascular function by reducing endothelin-1 (ET-1). Additional pathways mediating this effect were studied using porcine coronary arteries (PCAs). Methods Eighteen young healthy women drank red wine daily for 3 weeks. Vascular function was evaluated by determining forearm blood flow (FBF) responses to endothelium-dependent (acetylcholine (ACh)) and endothelium-independent (sodium nitroprusside (SNP)) vasodilators. PCAs were suspended in organ baths and exposed to the endothelium-dependent vasodilator bradykinin, the nitric oxide (NO) donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl-l,l-penicillamine (SNAP) and/or red wine extract (RWE). Results ACh-induced and SNP-induced FBF increases were equally enhanced after 3 weeks of red wine consumption, but an immediate enhancement (i.e., after drinking the first glass) was not observed. Vice versa, plasma ET-1 levels were not decreased after 3 weeks, but we observed an acute drop after drinking one glass of wine. RWE relaxed preconstricted PCAs in an endothelium-, NO-, and soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC)/guanosine-3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent manner. Short RWE exposure reduced the response to bradykinin and SNAP by inactivating sGC. This effect disappeared upon prolonged RWE exposure. Conclusions The enhanced FBF response following 3 weeks of red wine consumption, but not after one glass, reflects a change in smooth muscle sensitivity. Alterations in sGC responsiveness/activity, rather than changes in ET-1, appear to underlie this phenomenon. American Journal of Hypertension,advance online publication 18 November 2010; doi:10.1038/ajh.2010.227