A Dietary Resveratrol-Rich
Grape Extract Prevents
the Developing of Atherosclerotic Lesions in the Aorta of Pigs Fed
an Atherogenic Diet
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Abstract
The presence of grape and wine polyphenol resveratrol
(RES) in
the diet is negligible. Therefore, the cardiovascular benefits of
this molecule, in a dietary context, remain to be established. We
aimed to investigate, through dietary intervention, the effects of
a resveratrol-rich grape extract (GE-RES) on the prevention of early
aortic lesions in pigs fed an atherogenic diet (AD). These effects
were compared with those produced by a grape extract lacking RES (GE)
or RES alone. Pigs fed the AD for 4 months showed early atherosclerotic
lesions in the thoracic aorta: degeneration and fragmentation of elastic
fibers, increase of intima thickness, subendothelial fibrosis, and
accumulation of fatty cells and anion superoxide radicals. GE-RES
was the most effective treatment and prevented the disruption of aortic
elastic fibers, decreased their alteration (57%), and reduced the
intima thickness (33%) and the accumulation of fatty cells (42%) and
O<sub>2</sub><sup>•–</sup> (38%) in aortic tissue. In
addition, GE-RES moderately downregulated the expression of the suppressors
of cytokine signaling 1 (<i>SOCS1</i>) and 3 (<i>SOCS3</i>), key regulators of vascular cell responses, in peripheral mononuclear
blood cells. Our results suggest that the consumption of this GE-RES
nutraceutical, in a dietary prevention context, could prevent early
atherosclerotic events. The presence of RES in the grape extract strengthened
these effects