Protective effect of red wine on oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme activities in the brain and kidney induced by feeding high cholesterol in rats

Summary The effect of red wine (400 ml/70 kg) on brain and kidney oxidative stress and antioxidative enzymes activities induced by cholesterol-enriched diet (supplemented with 1.65% of cholesterol (w/w) for 4 weeks) was studied in rats. When red wine (Montilla-Moriles, Cordoba, Spain) was simultaneously supplemented to high-cholesterol diet for 4 weeks, total cholesterol and lipid peroxidation products in the brain, kidney and erythrocytes significantly decreased compared with the high-cholesterol, while GSH content and antioxidative enzymes activities enhanced. On the other hand, the urinary excretion of urea, creatinine and albumin decreased significantly. These results suggest that red wine may have a neuro–nephroprotective effect against oxidative stress and hypercholesterolemia.