Antiarrhythmic mechanisms of Malbec wine and resveratrol in isolated rat heart

Abstract

Oxidative stress during myocardial reperfusion contributes to ventricular arrhythmias onset. We aim to evaluate the antiarrhythmic effect of Malbec wine and resveratrol and compare them with the synthetic antioxidant tiron. Since alcohol use is controversial, we also assessed dealcoholized wine.Isolated hearts from male Sprague Dawley rats were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution added with: Malbec wine (5 ml/L), resveratrol (10 μM,) compared to controls with alcohol (0.5 ml/L); dealcoholized wine (5 ml/L), tiron (10 mM) were compared with controls without alcohol. Epicardial action potentials were analyzed during basal state, regional ischemia and reperfusion (10 minutes each period). The incidence of arrhythmias was determined. The antioxidant effect was assessed in left ventricle homogenates and expressed as a percentage of inhibition of the ABTS•+ radical.Malbec wine and resveratrol reduced reperfusion arrhythmias in 56% and 50%, respectively, compared to 100% incidence in the control group with alcohol.Dealcoholized wine reduced arrhythmias to 50% compared to non-alcoholic control (90.5%), but tiron did not protect (69%). The free radicals inhibitory effect increased with all the compounds (resveratrol 54.2%, tiron 43.2%, Malbec wine 42.9%, dealcoholized wine 40.2%) with respect to the control groups (with alcohol 23.5%, without alcohol 21.2%). Resveratrol shortened action potential duration and prevented ischemic depolarization. Malbec prevented ischemic-induced action potential shortening.We conclude that Malbec wine and resveratrol are antiarrhythmic beyond their antioxidant properties. Alcohol content or was not essential. Protection from ischemic action potential changes could be relevant to the antiarrhythmic effect of both resveratrol and wine.