[The effect of dopamine on hemodynamic and hormonal parameters in liver cirrhosis]

To 11 patients with liver cirrhosis (5 with ascites) and 6 controls a one-hour dopamine infusion, 1.5 micrograms/kg/min., was administered. In all before administration of the infusion catheterization of the hepatic veins and lesser circulation was performed with concurrent assessment of the cardiac minute volume by thermodilution, and haemodynamic measurements were repeated also after the dopamine infusion. Before the dopamine administration and after termination of the infusion the plasma renin activity was assessed (PRA), plasma aldosterone, the atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), prolactin and in some patients also plasma catecholamines. Dopamine administration was not associated with an increase of the cardiac output, heart rate or peripheral resistance; the infusion had only purely dopaminergic effects. Plasma prolactin declined after dopamine administration significantly in controls (from 29.17 +/- 7.01 to 11.83 +/- 3.22, p less than 0.05, in patients with liver cirrhosis without ascites) from 18.16 +/- 2.44 to 8.64 +/- 2.01, p less than 0.01) in patients with ascites liver cirrhosis (from 23.5 +/- 9.3 to 15.2 +/- 7.47, p less than 0.05). In the controls after the dopamine infusion PRA suppression occurred (from 2.37 +/- 0.81 to 0.9 +/- 0.27, p less than 0.05), while in patients with compensated liver cirrhosis (from 0.97 +/- 0.41 to 0.85 +/- 0.34, n.s.) and in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis the PRA did not change significantly either (from 4.56 +/- 1.67 to 5.065 +/- 2.29, n. s.). After the dopamine infusion in none of the investigated patient groups changes of plasma aldosterone and ANF were recorded.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)