Olive Oil and Red Wine Antioxidant Polyphenols Inhibit Endothelial Activation

TLDR

Mediterranean diets are linked to lower cardiovascular disease risk. The study examined whether olive oil and red wine polyphenols affect endothelial‑leukocyte adhesion molecule expression and monocyte adhesion. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were incubated with polyphenols, stimulated with LPS or cytokines, and reporter gene assays revealed that NF‑κB, AP‑1, and possibly GATA sites mediate VCAM‑1 transcriptional inhibition. Oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and resveratrol at dietary concentrations reduced monocyte adhesion and VCAM‑1 mRNA and protein, with EMSA confirming NF‑κB and AP‑1 involvement.

Abstract

Epidemiology suggests that Mediterranean diets are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Because monocyte adhesion to the endothelium is crucial in early atherogenesis, we evaluated whether typical olive oil and red wine polyphenols affect endothelial-leukocyte adhesion molecule expression and monocyte adhesion.Phytochemicals in olive oil and red wine, including oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, elenolic acid, and resveratrol, with or without antioxidant activity, were incubated with human umbilical vein endothelial cells for 30 minutes, followed by co-incubation with bacterial lipopolysaccharide or cytokines to trigger adhesion molecule expression. At nutritionally relevant concentrations, only oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and resveratrol, possessing a marked antioxidant activity, reduced monocytoid cell adhesion to stimulated endothelium, as well as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) mRNA and protein by Northern analysis and cell surface enzyme immunoassay. Reporter gene assays with deletional VCAM-1 promoter constructs indicated the relevance of nuclear factor-kappaB, activator protein-1, and possibly GATA binding sites in mediating VCAM-1 transcriptional inhibition. The involvement of nuclear factor-kappaB and activator protein-1 was finally demonstrated at electrophoretic mobility shift assays.Olive oil and red wine antioxidant polyphenols at nutritionally relevant concentrations transcriptionally inhibit endothelial adhesion molecule expression, thus partially explaining atheroprotection from Mediterranean diets.