[Ibopamine--acute hemodynamic, renal and neurohumoral effects]

Ibopamine (IP) is a novel dopamine analogue for which beneficial effects have been shown in chronic heart failure. Hemodynamic effects of the substance include an increase in cardiac output and a decrease in the peripheral resistance. Aside from these hemodynamic effects, changes in renal (increased diuresis) and neurohumoral parameters (decreased plasma renin activity, aldosterone, norepinephrine, increased ANF and cGMP) have been found. The renal effects may originate from three independent mechanisms: 1) direct impact of improved hemodynamic parameters on the renal perfusion; 2) the improved cardiac performance results in a reduction of compensatory hormonal adaptations, such as the activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-axis or the sympathetic system; 3) direct effects on the intrarenal hemodynamic and glomerular/tubular functions induced by stimulation of renal dopaminergic receptors. The continued decrease of the plasma renin activity by 35% results in a reduction of the plasma levels of angiotensin II and aldosterone. Additionally, an increase in plasma atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and its second messenger cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) was observed after ibopamine, which could contribute to the diuretic action of the drug. These findings underline the importance of extrarenal effects of a drug in the treatment of heart failure, this may essentially contribute to the improvement of cardiac performance, independent of positive inotropy.