Moderate red wine consumption protects the rat against oxidation in vivo

The effect of the moderate consumption of red wine on the antioxidant syste m in rat liver, kidney and plasma has been evaluated. Wistar rats were trea ted in separate groups as follows: control; red wine for 45 days or 6 month s; and 13.5 % ethanol for 45 days or 6 months. The consumption of alcoholic beverages was free because the rat could always choose between the alcohol ic beverage and the water. In liver, red wine ingestion resulted in higher hepatic superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities after 45 days of treatment. The data indicate that wine and ethanol ingestion resul ted in lower hepatic malondialdehyde and enhanced hepatic catalase activity in both of the periods studied. In kidney, the reduced glutathione/oxidize d glutathione ratio was higher after 45 days of wine consumption, and the m alondialdehyde was lower after 6 months of wine consumption. In plasma, mal ondialdehyde was lower after 6 months of both treatments, but plasmatic vit amin E was higher after red wine consumption while it was lower after ethan ol consumption for this period of time. The present study shows that the mo derate and prolonged consumption of red wine is consistent with higher prot ection against oxidation in vivo.