Acute treatment with red wine polyphenols protects from ischemia-induced excitotoxicity, energy failure and oxidative stress in rats.

Red wine polyphenolic compounds (RWPC) possess numerous neuroprotective activities that may be beneficial for treating cerebral ischemia. To investigate the in vivo effects of an acute treatment with RWPC during stroke, male Wistar rats were subjected to transient ischemia for 90 min and immediately treated with RWPC. The extracellular concentrations of excitatory amino acids, free radical scavengers and energy metabolites during occlusion and reperfusion were monitored using microdialysis.

Chronic treatment with red wine polyphenol compounds mediates neuroprotection in a rat model of ischemic cerebral stroke.

In this study, we investigated the in vivo effects of red wine polyphenol compounds (RWPC) in rats that were submitted to middle cerebral occlusion as an experimental model of stroke. Male Wistar rats were given RWPC [30 mg/(kg x d) dissolved in drinking water] or water for 1 wk before being subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by reperfusion. Sham-operated rats were subjected to transient occlusion in which the filament was not completely introduced.

Polyphenols as potential therapeutical agents against cardiovascular diseases.

Increasing evidence suggests that polyphenols from fruits, vegetables and beverages such as wine and tea may exert protective effects on the cardiovascular system. Indeed, research in the field of polyphenols points out their antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties, leading to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation and platelet aggregation. These compounds are also able to modulate the generation of nitric oxide (NO) from vascular endothelium and to interfere with the mechanisms leading to inflammation and endothelial apoptosis, contributing to the prevention of the endothelial dysfunction, known to play a central role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases.