Mechanism Behind Heart-Healthy Red Wine Extract Revealed

Mechanism Behind Heart-Healthy Red Wine Extract Revealed

LA PLATA, Argentina--A possible mechanism of action behind the heart-protective effects of a non-alcoholic red wine extract was elucidated by researchers from the Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Their animal research, published in the September issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology (40, 3:429-37, 2002)(www.cardiovascularpharm.com), demonstrated how red wine extract protected heart health after induced ischemia (obstruction of blood flow) and then forced reperfusion (resumed blood flow). Researchers compared the damage to rats' hearts with or without infusing red wine extract after a 20-minute ischemic episode followed by 30 minutes of reperfusion. In the presence of red wine extract, the rats' hearts regained complete systolic function. An examination of various measures of heart function and overall health revealed that mitochondrial K(ATP) channels and nitric oxide were involved in the protection against ischemia/reperfusion from a non-alcoholic red wine extract.

Share this article: Email, Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Yahoo!MyWeb, Windows Live Favorites, Furl
Add this article feed to: RSS, My Yahoo, Newsgator, Bloglines