Effects of de-alcoholised wines with different polyphenol content on DNA oxidative damage, gene expression of peripheral lymphocytes, and haemorheology: an intervention study in post-menopausal women.
OBJECTIVE
Epidemiological studies suggest that a moderate consumption of wine is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases and with a reduced mortality for all causes, possibly due to increased antioxidant defences. The present intervention study was undertaken to evaluate the in vivo effects of wine polyphenols on gene expression in humans, along with their supposed antioxidant activity.


METHODS
Blood haemorheology and platelet function were also evaluated. In order to avoid interferences from alcohol, we used de-alcoholised wine (DAW) with different polyphenol content. A randomised cross-over trial of high-proanthocyanidin (PA) red DAW (500 mL/die, PA dose = 7 mg/kg b.w.) vs. low-PA rosé DAW (500 mL/die, PA dose = 0.45 mg/kg) was conducted in 21 post-menopausal women in Florence, Italy. Oxidative DNA damage by the comet assay and gene expression by microarray was measured in peripheral blood lymphocytes, collected during the study period. Blood samples were also collected for the evaluation of haematological, haemostatic, haemorheological, and inflammatory parameters.


RESULTS
The results of the present study provide evidence that consumption of substantial amounts of de-alcoholised wine for 1 month does not exert a protective activity towards oxidative DNA damage, nor modifies significantly the gene expression profile of peripheral lymphocytes, whereas it shows blood-fluidifying actions, expressed as a significant decrease in blood viscosity. However, this effect does not correlate with the dosage of polyphenols of the de-alcoholised wine.


CONCLUSIONS
More intervention studies are needed to provide further evidence of the health-protective effects of wine proanthocyanidins.
Giovannelli
Lisa
L
Department of Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy. lisa.giovannelli@unifi.it
Pitozzi
Vanessa
V
Luceri
Cristina
C
Giannini
Lucia
L
Toti
Simona
S
Salvini
Simonetta
S
Sera
Francesco
F
Souquet
Jean-Marc
JM
Cheynier
Veronique
V
Sofi
Francesco
F
Mannini
Lucia
L
Gori
Anna Maria
AM
Abbate
Rosanna
R
Palli
Domenico
D
Dolara
Piero
P
D001809:Blood Viscosity; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D004249:DNA Damage; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010974:Platelet Aggregation; D059808:Polyphenols; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D044945:Proanthocyanidins / Q000032:analysis / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012307:Risk Factors; D014920:Wine / Q000032:analysis*
D016207:Cytokines; D005419:Flavonoids; D010636:Phenols; D059808:Polyphenols; D044945:Proanthocyanidins