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The effect of moderate alcohol consumption as either red or white wine in the C57BL/6 mouse atherosclerosis model
J S Munday1, K G Thompson, K A James
1Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. munday@ahdlms.cvm.msu.edu
Background:
Epidemiological studies suggest that the moderate consumption of alcohol, especially red wine, protects against atherosclerosis. This hypothesis was tested using the C57BL/6 mouse atherosclerosis model.
Design:
Sixty mice were fed an atherogenic diet for 15 weeks. Two groups of 20 mice received drinking water containing 3.1% alcohol, either or white wine, while the control group received plain water. At the conclusion of the experiment, serum lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were measured and the formation of fatty streaks in the aortic sinus was quantified.
Results:
When mice receiving red wine were compared with mice receiving white wine, no significant differences in serum lipoprotein profile or fatty streak formation were observed. Surprisingly, when data from mice receiving either red or white wine were combined, mice receiving alcohol developed a lower mean serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration [2.34 +/- 0.44 mmol/l (mean +/- SD)] and an increased mean area of aortic fatty streaks (0.46 +/- 0.22 mm2) than controls (2.70 +/- 0.59 mmol/l and 0.31 +/- 0.11 mm2).
Conclusions:
These results do not support the hypothesis that red wine provides more protection against atherosclerosis than white wine. The mechanisms by which the moderate intake of alcohol increased fatty streak formation in C57BL/6 mice require further investigation.