Beneficial Effects of Moderate Intake of Red Wine on Glycemic Control, Lipid Profile and Pancreas Histoarchitecture in Diabetic Rats Fed on High Carbohydrate Diet

Moderate alcohol consumption has been linked to improved cardiovascular and total mortality rates. However, the riskbenefit balance is controversial among moderate drinkers where evidence of type 2 diabetes was reported to be less prevalent. This experimentally-controlled designed study aimed to determine the effects of moderate red wine consumption on body anthropometry, glycemic and lipid profiles and pancreatic tissue histology in diabetic rats. Twenty eight male Wistar rats each weighing ≥ 200g were randomly categorized into four experimental groups (n=7, each): Normal control fed with standard rat feed; Diabetic control (DC) fed with high carbohydrate diet; Diabetic on high carbohydrate diet treated with 4ml/kg red wine (DR4) and Diabetic on high carbohydrate diet treated with 6ml/kg red wine (DR6). Diabetes was inducted with freshly prepared alloxan monohydrate solution (150mg/dL, intraperitoneally). Each rat was weighed twice weekly while the red wine was administered orally by cannula. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) concentrations were measured weekly in each rat in all groups and their means calculated. Lipid analysis was conducted at the beginning and the 5th week of study period while the glycemic tolerance test using D-glucose (2g/kg wt) was conducted to construct the glycemic tolerance (GT) curves. Animals were sacrificed for pancreas extraction and histology. Graph Pad Prism and statistical program SPSS version 20 were used to analyze the data. P values < 0.05 were considered significant. A significant (p < 0.05) decrease in mean % weight gain was observed in red wine-treated diabetic groups: DR6 (9.14%), DR4 (11.87%) compared with DC (17.80%). Wine-treated rats showed dose-dependent improved GT and significant decrease in mean % FBG concentrations (DR4: 36.92% and DR6: 55.66%) compared with the DC rats with elevated value (7.14%) and impaired GT. Total cholesterol and triacylglycerides concentrations decreased significantly in wine-treated rats with elevated HDL levels and dose-dependent improved pancreas histoarchitecture. In conclusion, moderate consumption of red wine displayed dose-dependent beneficial organoprotective, hypoglycemic, anti-lipaemic and metabolic effects in diabetic rats