Intracellular polyphenol wine metabolites oppose oxidative stress and upregulate Nrf2/ARE pathway 

Intracellular polyphenol wine metabolites oppose oxidative stress and upregulate Nrf2/ARE pathway
Moderate wine consumption has been associated with several benefits to human health due to its high polyphenol content. Researchers investigated whether polyphenols contained in a particular red wine, rich in polyphenols, can pass the cell membrane and switch the oxidant/antioxidant balance toward an antioxidant pattern of THP-1 cells and human cardiomyocytes through a gene regulatory system.
First, the researchers identified which metabolite polyphenols present in red wine extract cross cell membranes and may be responsible for antioxidant effects. The results showed that the wine metabolites in treated cells belonged mainly to stilbenes, flavan-3-ols derivatives, and flavonoids. Other metabolites present in cells were not typical wine metabolites.
Researchers then found that red wine extract dose-dependently lowered reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) up to 50 ± 7% in both cell lines. Furthermore, wine extract increased nuclear Nrf2 (regulator of cellular resistance to oxidants) of about 35 ± 5% in both cell lines (and counteracted its reduction induced by TBHP). The rise in Nrf2 was paralleled by the increase in hemeoxygenase-1 and glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit gene expression (both mRNA and protein. These results could help explain the healthful activity of wine polyphenols within cells.
Source: Stranieri C, Guzzo F, Gambini S, Cominacini L, Fratta Pasini AM. Intracellular Polyphenol Wine Metabolites Oppose Oxidative Stress and Upregulate Nrf2/ARE Pathway. Antioxidants (Basel). 2022 Oct 19;11(10):205.