Moderate red wine consumption protects the rat against oxidation in vivo

The effect of the moderate consumption of red wine on the antioxidant system in rat liver, kidney and plasma has been evaluated. Wistar rats were treated in separate groups as follows: control; red wine for 45 days or 6 months; and 13.5% ethanol for 45 days or 6 months. The consumption of alcoholic beverages was free because the rat could always choose between the alcoholic beverage and the water. In liver, red wine ingestion resulted in higher hepatic superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities after 45 days of treatment. The data indicate that wine and ethanol ingestion resulted in lower hepatic malondialdehyde and enhanced hepatic catalase activity in both of the periods studied. In kidney, the reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione ratio was higher after 45 days of wine consumption, and the malondialdehyde was lower after 6 months of wine consumption. In plasma, malondialdehyde was lower after 6 months of both treatments, but plasmatic vitamin E was higher after red wine consumption while it was lower after ethanol consumption for this period of time. The present study shows that the moderate and prolonged consumption of red wine is consistent with higher protection against oxidation in vivo.