Ethanol promotes new vessel growth in remote nonischemic myocardium

Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that daily low to moderate alcohol consumption is cardioprotective as compared with abstainers and high alcohol consumption. Our group reported that alcohol consumption improves angiogenesis in chronically ischemic myocardium. We developed a clinically relevant follow-up study to assess the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on new vessel growth in normal myocardium remote from an ischemic territory in a swine model.

Fourteen male Yorkshire swine underwent placement of an ameroid constrictor to induce chronic myocardial ischemia. Postoperatively, animals were supplemented with either 90 mL of ethanol daily (ETOH) or 80 g of sucrose (SUC) of equal caloric value. Seven weeks after ameroid placement, myocardial tissue from a territory remote from the ischemia was harvested for analysis.

Both groups had similar microvascular relaxation to endothelial dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilators. Also, both groups had similar myocardial perfusion at rest and with demand pacing. The ETOH group had significantly increased arteriolar and capillary density in the nonischemic myocardium compared with the SUC group. ETOH supplementation also increased expression of pro-angiogenesis proteins vascular endothelial growth factor and vascular endothelial cadherin, and decreased expression of anti-angiogenesis proteins angiostatin and endostatin.

ETOH supplementation increased capillary and arteriolar density, upregulated pro-angiogenesis and pro-survival proteins, and downregulated anti-angiogenesis protein expression. These findings suggest that at moderate doses, ETOH directly promotes new vessel growth in the nonischemic myocardium remote from chronic ischemia.