Objective: Exploring the relationship between the plasma substance P(SP) and essential hypertension with left ventricular hypertrophy (EH-LVH) and the effect of promoting blood circulation and eliminating phlegm.
Methods: Before and after treatment, the changes of SP in patients wiith EH-LVH were measured by radioimmunoassay. Meanwhile, the changes of plasma renin activity (PRA), angiotension II (Ang II), left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured.
Results: The level of plasma SP in patients with EH-LVH was markedly lower than that of patients without EH-NLVH and healthy subjects (P < 0.001); the levels of PRA and Ang II were higher than those in control group (P < 0.01 or < 0.05). After treatment, the level of SP was significantly increased, while LVMI, MAP, PRA and Ang II were significantly decrease (P < 0.01 or < 0.05). The levels between SP and LVMI, MAP, PRA, Ang II were markedly negative correlated (P < 0.01) while levels between LVMI and PRA, Ang II were markedly positive correlated.
Conclusions: The SP may be involved in the pathogenesis of EH-LVH; the mechanism of promoting blood circulation and eliminating phlegm reversing LVH might be related to its increasing the plasma SP.