School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland.
Nutrients. 2012 Apr;4(4):297-318. doi: 10.3390/nu4040297. Epub 2012 Apr 19.
Alcohol is a commonly used drug worldwide. Epidemiological studies have identified alcohol consumption as a factor that may either positively or negatively influence many diseases including cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and dementia. Often there seems to be a differential effect of various drinking patterns, with frequent moderate consumption of alcohol being salutary and binge drinking or chronic abuse being deleterious to one's health. A better understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating the many effects of alcohol consumption is beginning to emerge, as well as a clearer picture as to whether these effects are due to the direct actions of alcohol itself, or caused in part by its metabolites, e.g., acetaldehyde, or by incidental components present in the alcoholic beverage (e.g., polyphenols in red wine). This review will discuss evidence to date as to how alcohol (ethanol) might affect atherosclerosis that underlies cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, and the putative mechanisms involved, focusing on vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cell effects.
酒精是全球范围内广泛使用的一种药物。流行病学研究已经确定，饮酒可能会对多种疾病产生积极或消极的影响，包括心血管疾病、某些癌症和痴呆症。不同的饮酒模式似乎会产生不同的影响，经常适量饮酒有益健康，而狂饮或慢性滥用则对健康有害。目前，人们对介导酒精摄入多种影响的细胞和分子机制有了更深入的了解，也更加清楚这些影响是由于酒精本身的直接作用，还是部分由于其代谢物（如乙醛），或者是由于酒精饮料中存在的偶然成分（如红酒中的多酚）所致。本文综述了迄今为止有关酒精（乙醇）如何影响心血管和脑血管疾病基础的动脉粥样硬化的证据，以及相关的推测机制，重点关注血管内皮和平滑肌细胞的作用。
