Substance P in cardiovascular diseases - A bioanalytical review

Substance P has recently received much attention as a mediator of adverse heart remodelling and cardiac inflammation by releasing proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteases from immune and cardiac mast cells. Based on animal models, Substance P is highly associated with the development of cardiomyopathies, subsequently leading to heart failure. After a brief overview of the pathological role of Substance P in cardiac remodelling and cardiac inflammation, this review summarizes the limited, existing data of Substance P blood levels in adults with cardiovascular diseases, demonstrating a high variability of blood concentrations. The investigation of blood levels led to the conclusion that variability is mainly caused by differences in blood sampling and determination. Furthermore, this review illustrates alternate strategies to investigate human Substance P levels as deeper knowledge of them enables further insights into the potential role of Substance P in cardiovascular diseases.