Emerging cardioprotective mechanisms of vitamin B6: a narrative review

Although overt vitamin B6 deficiency is rare, marginal vitamin B6 deficiency is frequent and occurs in a consistent proportion of the population. The marginal vitamin B6 deficiency appears to relate to an increased risk of inflammation-related diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers. Of all the cardiovascular diseases, heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome associated with a high mortality rate. So far, information regarding the cardioprotective mechanisms of vitamin B6 has been limited. Meanwhile, recent studies have revealed that vitamin B6 treatment increases cardiac levels of imidazole dipeptides (e.g., carnosine, anserine, and homocarnosine), histamine, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and suppresses P2X7 receptor-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome. These modulations may imply potential cardioprotective mechanisms of vitamin B6. These modulations may also be involved in the underlying mechanisms through which vitamin B6 suppresses oxidative stress and inflammation. This review provides an up-to-date evaluation of our current understanding of the cardioprotective mechanisms of vitamin B6.