Modulation of haemostatic function and prevention of experimental thrombosis by red wine in rats: a role for increased nitric oxide production.
1. The effects of ethyl alcohol and wine (red and white) on haemostatic parameters and experimental thrombosis were studied in rats; NO was evaluated as a possible mediator of these effects. 2. We found that red wine (12% alcohol) supplementation (8.4 +/- 0.4 ml d-1 in drinking water, for 10 days) induced a marked prolongation of 'template' bleeding time (BT) (258 +/- 13 vs 132 +/- 13 s in controls; P < 0.001), a decrease in platelet adhesion to fibrillar collagen (11.6 +/- 1.0 vs 32.2 +/- 1.3%; P < 0.01) and a reduction in thrombus weight (1.45 +/- 0.33 vs 3.27 +/- 0.39 mg; P < 0.01). 3. Alcohol-free red wine showed an effect similar to red wine. In contrast, neither ethyl alcohol (12%) nor white wine (12% alcohol) affected these systems. 4. All these effects were also observed after red wine i.v. injection (1 ml kg-1 of 1:4 dilution) 15 min before the experiments. 5. The effects of red wine were prevented by the NO inhibitor, N omega nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME). L-arginine, not D-arginine, reversed the effect of L-NAME on red wine infusion. 6. Red wine injection induced a 3 fold increase in total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter values of rat plasma with respect to controls, while white wine and alcohol did not show any effect. 7. Our study provides evidence that red wine modulates primary haemostasis and prevents experimental thrombosis in rats, independently of its alcohol content, by a NO-mediated mechanism.
Angela Valenti Laboratory of Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Thrombotic Disease, Department of Vascular Medicine and Pharmacology, Consorzio Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro, Italy.
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Wollny
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Aiello
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Bellavia
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Iacoviello
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001760:Bleeding Time; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000097:blood; D006487:Hemostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014920:Wine
D000975:Antioxidants; D005609:Free Radicals; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000431:Ethanol; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases