[Significance of renal dopamine on pathogenesis of essential hypertension]

In order to clarify the role of renal dopaminergic activity in renal sodium-water metabolism, the effects of oral administration of L-DOPA (400 mg), were studied on blood pressure (BP), plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC), urinary volume (UV), urinary excretion of sodium and lithium (UNa and ULi) in 11 normal subjects (N) and 32 patients with essential hypertension (EH). EH were divided into the salt sensitive (SS) and non salt-sensitive (NSS) groups by response of mean blood pressure (10% increase) after administration of NaCl. The change of UNa, PRA, and PAC after administration of NaCl were lower in SS than in NSS. After administration of L-DOPA, BP falled and UV, UNa, FENa, FELi and Ccr increased in both N and EH. The change of these factors were greater in SS as compared with those in NSS. These results suggest that in SS patients the suppression of water-sodium handling in the kidney might be due to depression of renal dopaminergic activity. Renal dopaminergic activity may play an important role in the pathogenesis of EH.