Renal effect of dopexamine hydrochloride in patients with chronic renal dysfunction

Dopexamine hydrochloride, a dopamine analogue, has been reported, both experimentally and clinically, to increase renal blood flow (RBF) and improve renal function in normal kidneys. The availability of computer-enhanced radionuclide scintigraphy, which provides accurate non-invasive measurement of changes in RBF, enabled us to study the renographic effects of dopexamine hydrochloride in patients with chronic renal dysfunction (CRD). Ten patients suffering from CRD and ten normal kidney donors were the study population. Renography was performed, heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) measured, and hematological and biochemical tests carried out before and after intravenous infusion of dopexamine 2 micrograms kg-1 min-1 for 60 min. The patient population displayed significant increases in total cortical and medullary RBF and renographic clearance rate (CR), while in kidney donors the RBF was increased in all kidney regions with no change in CR. HR increased in both groups, while BP showed no significant changes. The hematological and biochemical changes were transient and returned to preinfusion levels after 24 h. It is concluded that dopexamine hydrochloride 2 micrograms kg-1 min-1 increases RBF and CR in patients with CRD.