Effects of de-alcoholised wines with different polyphenol content on DNA oxidative damage, gene expression of peripheral lymphocytes, and haemorheology: an intervention study in post-menopausal women Lisa GiovannelliVanessa PitozziCristina LuceriLucia GianniniSimona Toti • Simonetta SalviniFrancesco SeraJean-Marc SouquetVeronique CheynierFrancesco Sofi • Lucia ManniniAnna Maria GoriRosanna AbbateDomenico PalliPiero Dolara

Purpose Epidemiological studies suggest that a moderate consumption of wine is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases and with a reduced mortality for all causes, possibly due to increased antioxidant defences. The present intervention study was undertaken to evaluate the in vivo effects of wine polyphenols on gene expression in humans, along with their supposed antioxidant activity. Methods Blood haemorheology and platelet function were also evaluated. In order to avoid interferences from alcohol, we used de-alcoholised wine (DAW) with different polyphenol content. A randomised cross-over trial of high-proanthocyanidin (PA) red DAW (500 mL/die, PA