Abstract

In order to certify the diuretic mechanism of dopamine, this study was performed in dog. The following results were obtained. Dopamine, when given intravenously, produced diuresis, and increased glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal plasma flow (RPF), and amount of sodium excreted in urine. When infused directly into a renal artery, dopamine elicited a marked diuresis confined only to the infused side, with concomitant rises in osmolar clearance and sodium excretion as well as a slight increase in free water clearance. Simultaneously total renal plasma flow and medullary plasma flow increased markedly with a increase of glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow. Medullary concentration gradient of sodium also markedly lowered in the infused kidney. These changes were not observed during mannitol diuresis and renal action of dopamine were not apparent in dog pretreated with haloperidol. From the above experimental results, it is thought that dopamine, when given into a vien or infused directly into a renal artery, induces diuresis, and the mechanism of its action is due to dual actions which are hemodynamic effect along with glomerular filtraction rate, and the increased response in the medullary blood flow.

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