Inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation with red wine and red wine polyphenols

OBJECTIVE: The potential beneficial effects of red wine consumption on the development of atherosclerotic disease have been previously suggested in the literature. Vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation is an important component of atherogenesis. Inhibition of vascular SMC proliferation may have a beneficial effect in retarding the development of atherosclerotic disease. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of red wine, red wine polyphenol extract, and resveratrol, a polyphenol commonly found in red wine, on the proliferation of vascular SMC in culture. METHODS: Bovine aortic SMCs were used for all experiments. SMCs were treated with growth media supplemented with dealcoholized red wine, red wine polyphenol extract, or resveratrol at various concentrations for as long as 48 hours. SMC proliferation was assessed with (3)H-thymidine DNA incorporation assay. SMC viability was assessed with trypan blue exclusion studies and a colorimetric lactic dehydrogenase cytotoxicity assay. RESULTS: Our results show that red wine and red wine polyphenol extract inhibit SMC proliferation in a dose-dependent fashion. Resveratrol also inhibits vascular SMC proliferation. SMC viability studies show that this inhibition of SMC proliferation is not the result of a cytotoxic effect. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that red wine and red wine polyphenols have an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of vascular SMCs in culture. These results suggest that the observed beneficial effects of red wine may be the result, in part, of the inhibition of vascular SMC proliferation. Furthermore, the antiproliferative properties of red wine may be caused by its component polyphenols.