Acute consumption of Andalusian aged wine and gin decreases the expression of genes related to atherosclerosis in men with high cardiovascular risk: Randomized intervention trial

Background: Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease. Previous studies have suggested the beneficial effects of moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages on reducing cardiovascular risk (CVR). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of acute consumption of Andalusian aged wine (AAW) and gin by analyzing the expression of genes related to the appearance and progression of atherosclerosis in men with high CVR. Methods: We performed an open, randomized, controlled, crossover trial including 41 men with high CVR between 55 and 80 years age, who received a single dose of AAW or gin (0.5 g ethanol/kg). The expression of 10 genes related to atherosclerosis was determined by RT-PCR at baseline and 4 h after the intervention. Results: Gene expression analysis 4 h after consumption of each alcoholic beverage showed a significant decrease in Toll-like receptors 4 and 6 (TLR4, TLR6) and Caspase-1 (p < 0.05 all). Additionally, TLR2, Interleukin-1 receptor, chemokine receptor 3 and inflammasome expression decreased after AAW intake (p < 0.05, all) while only chemokine receptor 5 decreased after gin consumption (p = 0.039). Conclusion: The decrease in the expression of several genes related to the appearance and progression of atherosclerosis was greater after AAW than gin intake, suggesting that the phenolic content of AAW may play a protective role against atherosclerosis.