Daily moderate amounts of red wine or alcohol have no effect on the immune system of healthy men

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the daily intake of red wine (RW) at a dose which inversely correlates with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk modulates immune functions in healthy men. DESIGN: Randomized single-blind trial with four intervention periods. SETTING: The Institute of Nutritional Physiology, Federal Research Centre for Nutrition, Karlsruhe, Germany. SUBJECTS: A total of 24 healthy males with moderate alcohol consumption patterns were recruited and all completed the study. INTERVENTION: Participants consumed 500 ml of RW (12% ethanol (ETOH)) or 500 ml of a 12% ETOH dilution per day for a period of 2 weeks. To control the potential effects of RW polyphenols, accordingly 500 ml/day of dealcoholized red wine (DRW) and of red grape juice (RGJ) were given. The following immune parameters were measured before beverage consumption and at 1 and 2 weeks following beverage consumption: phagocytic activity of neutrophils and monocytes, production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), interleukin-2 and -4, transforming growth factor-beta, TNFalpha mRNA, lymphocyte proliferation, lytic activity of natural killer cells, and percentage of apoptotic lymphocytes. RESULTS: Consumption of a moderate volume of alcohol with RW and with a 12% ETOH dilution had no effect on immune functions in healthy males. Consumption of polyphenol-rich beverages (DRW and RGJ) did not affect immunity-related parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Daily moderate consumption of alcohol and of RW for 2 weeks at doses which inversely correlate with CVD risk has no adverse effects on human immune cell functions. Polyphenol-rich beverages such as RGJ and DRW further do not suppress immune responses in healthy men.     

Malvidin-3-glucoside bioavailability in humans after ingestion of red wine, dealcoholized red wine and red grape juice

Summary Background & Aims Dietary polyphenols, including anthocyanins, are suggested to be involved in the protective effects of red wine against cardiovascular diseases. Very little data are available concerning the bioavailability of anthocyanins, major sources of red pigmentation in red wine. The aim of this study was to compare changes in plasma malvidin-3-glucoside (M-3-G), a red wine anthocyanin, and its urinary excretion after ingestion of red wine, dealcoholized red wine and red grape juice. Design Six healthy male subjects were studied in a randomized cross over setting in a human nutrition research unit under controlled conditions. All subject consumed 500 mL of each beverage on separate days providing the following M-3-G quantities: red wine 68 mg, dealcoholized red wine 58 mg, and red grape juice 117 mg. M-3-G was measured by HPLC and photodiode detection. Results M-3-G was found in plasma and urine after ingestion of all the beverages studied. The aglycon, sulfate or glucuronate conjugates of M-3-G were not detected in plasma and urine. Increases in plasma M-3-G concentrations were not significantly different after the consumption of either red wine or dealcoholized red wine and were about two times less than those measured after consumption of red grape juice. This difference may be caused by the about two times higher M-3-G concentration determined in red grape juice. Area under the plasma concentration curves were as follows: 288±127nmol × h/L (red wine), 214±124nmol × h/L (dealcoholized red wine) and 662±210 nmol × h/L (red grape juice) and showed a linear relationship with the amount of anthocyanin consumed (mean±SD). Conclusions M-3-G is poorly absorbed after a single ingestion of red wine, dealcoholized red wine, or red grape juice and seems to be differentially metabolized as compared to other red grape polyphenols. Our results suggest that not anthocyanins such as M-3-G themselves but rather not yet identified anthocyanin metabolites and/or other polyphenols in red wine might be responsible for the observed antioxidant and health effects in vivo in subjects consuming red wine. Received: 28 May 2001, Accepted: 17 July 2001     

Effects of moderate alcohol intake in fixed or variable amounts on concentration of serum lipids and liver enzymes in healthy young men

To assess the effects of moderate alcohol consumption on fasting serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) concentrations, groups of normolipidemic, nonsmoking, nonathletes who were moderate drinkers aged 21-35 y and within 10% of ideal body weight consumed 40 g ETOH/d as beer (fixed drinkers) or maintained usual drinking habits (variable drinkers) for 6 wk, then abstained from all alcohol for 3 wk. A similar group of nondrinkers served as the control group. HDL-C concentrations increased significantly during alcohol consumption and decreased during abstention to initial values in both the variable and fixed drinkers. No significant difference was found between the two drinking groups. LDL-C and TC concentrations in variable drinkers were modestly lower than those in nondrinkers but not in fixed drinkers. No significant differences were found in TG, GOT, and GGT concentrations between the groups or during alcohol consumption or abstention. This study demonstrates that consumption of alcohol in fixed or variable amounts is associated with an increase in HDL-C. This increase is not due to an induction of GGT and GOT as speculated.     

Effect of complex polyphenols and tannins from red wine (WCPT) on chemically induced oxidative DNA damage in the rat

Summary Background: Flavonoids are polyphenolic antioxidants occuring in vegetables and fruits as well as beverages such as tea and wine which have been thought to influence oxidative damage. Aim of the study: We wanted to verify whether a complex mixture of wine tannins (wine complex polyphenols and tannins, WCPT) prevent chemically-induced oxidative DNA damage in vivo. Methods: Oxidative DNA damage was evaluated by measuring the ratio of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (80HdG)/ 2-deoxyguanosine (2dG) × 10⁻⁶ in hydrolyzed DNA using HPLC coupled with electrochemical and UV detectors. Results: We treated rats with WCPT (57 mg/kg p.o.) for 14 d, a dose 10-fold higher than what a moderate wine drinker would be exposed to. WCPT administration significantly reduced the ratio of 80HdG/2dG × 10⁻⁶ in liver DNA obtained from rats treated with 2-nitropropane (2NP) relative to controls administered 2NP only (33.3 ± 2.5 vs. 44.9 ± 3.2 × 10⁻⁶ 2dG; μ± SE; p<0.05). On the contrary, pretreatment with WCPT for 10 d did not protect the colon mucosa from oxidative DNA damage induced by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH). 2NP and DMH are hepatic and colon carcinogens, respectively, capable of inducing oxidative DNA damage. Conclusions: WCPT have protective action against some types of chemically-induced oxidative DNA damage in vivo. Received: 25 January 1999, Accepted: 27 May 1999