A high‐fat diet induces and red wine counteracts endothelial dysfunction in human volunteers

Abstract

Endothelial dysfunction is associated with atherogenesis and oxidative stress in humans. In rat and rabbit blood vessels, wine polyphenol antioxidants induce vascular relaxation in vitro through the NO-cGMP pathway. To assess the effect of a regular high-fat diet (HFD) and moderate red wine consumption on endothelial function (EF), a study was performed in healthy male volunteers. EF was measured as flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery, employing high-resolution ultrasound after an overnight fast. Other clinical and biochemical parameters related to EF were also measured. Six volunteers received a control diet, rich in fruits and vegetables (27% calories as fat) and five volunteers received an HFD (39.5% calories as fat). Measurements were done twice on each volunteer: after a period of 30 d with diet plus 240 mL of red wine/d, and after a period of 30 d with diet, without wine. In the absence of wine, there is a reduction of EF with HFD when compared to the control diet (P = 0.014). This loss of EF is not seen when both diets are supplemented with wine for 30 d (P = 0.001). Plasma levels of n-3 fatty acids (R2 = 0.232, P = 0.023) and lycopene (R2 = 0.223, P = 0.020) show a positive correlation with individual EF measurements, but they do not account for the significant differences observed among dietary groups or after wine supplementation. These results help elucidate the deleterious effect of a high-fat diet and the protective role of wine, n-3 fatty acids and dietary antioxidants in cardiovascular disease.

Effects of enhanced consumption of fruit and vegetables on plasma antioxidant status and oxidative resistance of LDL in smokers supplemented with fish oil

“…One of the effects of the increased consumption of fruits and vegetables was a 9.7% reduction in caloric intake, with a significant reduction in percent energy from fat from 34.9 to 30.0%. There is some evidence that a high-fat diet induces endothelial dysfunction, which is associated with oxidative stress (Cuevas et al, 2000). However, it is unlikely that the change in energy intake from dietary fat had a significant effect on oxidative stability of LDL or plasma ex vivo.…”

Complementary effects of Mediterranean diet and moderate red wine intake on haemostatic cardiovascular risk factors

“…C-reactive protein (CRP) was determined by competitive immunoassay (Macy et al, 1997) with minor modi®cations and with a sensitivity of 0.18 mgal (Mezzano et al, 1999). Serum folate and vitamin B 12 were determined by ion capture and microparticle immunoassays, respectively (IMX 1 Folate and AxSYM B 12 , Abbott Labs, IL, USA) and vitamin C by a procedure based in reduction of ferric chloride, as described (Cuevas et al, 2000). Eicosapentaenoic content in plasma lipids was determined by gas chromatography (Christie, 1989) and expressed as percentage of total fatty acids.…”

“…Diet composition was calculated employing the Food Processor II computer program (Esha Research, Salem, OR). More details on diet composition have been reported (Cuevas et al, 2000). Lean weight was calculated by bioelectrical impedance analysis.…”

Effects of soy supplementation on blood lipids and arterial function in hypercholesterolaemic subjects

“…In contrast, 28 healthy postmenopausal women consuming 25 g of soy protein with isoflavones daily showed enhanced vasodilatation without experiencing any change in lipid values (Steinberg et al, 2003). The technique for measuring FMD has its limitations, being significantly operator dependent, and is under the influence of external factors such as time of day (Gaenzer et al, 2000), physical activity (Huonker et al, 1996), and food ingestion (Brown and Hu, 2001;Cuevas et al, 2000). In the present study, a single experienced operator performed FMD under controlled conditions, with the study powered to detect a 4% change in FMD.…”