Myocardial protection with red wine extract

Cardioprotective action of red wine was studied by preperfusine isolated ra t hearts with ethanol-free red wine extract for 15 min before subjecting th em to 30 min of global ischemia followed by 2 h of reperfusion. Four other group of rats were studied under identical conditions, of which one served as control; one was treated with 10 mu M trans-resveratrol (RVT), one of th e major antioxidants found in red wines; another, with 0.07% ethanol; and a nother, with 0.07% ethanol plus 10 mu M RVT. The results of our study demon strated that both red wine extract and RVT were equally cardioprotective, a s evidenced by their abilities to improve postischemic ventricular function s including developed pressure and aortic flow. Developed pressure values a t 60 min after reperfusion were 81.8 +/- 1.2 and 68.8 +/- 4.1 mm Hg for the red wine extract and RVT groups, respectively, versus 49.7 +/- 2.7 mm HE f or the control group. These compounds also reduced myocardial infarct size compared with the control hearts (20.1 +/- 0.5% and 10.5 +/- 0.3% for red w ine extract and RVT groups, respectively, vs. 29.9 +/- 3.1% for the control group). The ethanol-treated group displayed slightly better functional rec overy, which deteriorated sharply toward the end of the reperfusion period, and the extent of infarction was comparable to that of the control group ( 31.5 +/- 0.9%). in the ethanol plus RVT group, postischemic contractile fun ction was significantly better than control, and infarct size also was redu ced to 20.9 +/- 0.7%. The amount of malonaldehyde formation in the postisch emic myocardium was reduced by red wine extract and RVT, indicating a reduc tion of oxidative stress developed in the ischemic reperfused myocardium. I n vitro studies revealed that red wine extract is a potent antioxidant as e videnced by its ability to scavenge peroxyl radical in vitro. Taken togethe r, the results of our study indicate that red wines are cardioprotective by their ability to function as an in vivo antioxidant.