Plasma dopamine in regulation of canine renal blood flow

Studies were performed in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs to determine whether circulating plasma dopamine (DA) is involved in renal blood flow (RBF) regulation. During graded reductions in renal perfusion pressure (RPP), total renal venous (RV) DA content significantly increased at RPPs below the autoregulatory range. The RBF response to decrements in RPP was also examined during control, infusion of DA (1.2 micrograms.kg(-1).min(-1)ia), and after DA receptor blockade by SCH 23390 (30 micrograms/kg iv). During DA infusion, autoregulation was still evident over the same RPPs, although at higher flow rates. At pressures below the autoregulatory range, RBF decreased linearly and the autoregulatory curve merged with control at 50 mmHg. After SCH 23390, autoregulation ceased at a higher RPP than during control, and RBF was significantly less than control rates at pressures of 80 mmHg and below. To elucidate reasons for this latter response, reductions in RPP were repeated before and after administration of both prazosin (0.1 mg/kg iv) and SCH 23390. The results indicated that RBF rates were not different from control at any RPP. Further, prazosin alone did not alter renal autoregulation but significantly increased RBF at RPP below the autoregulatory range. Thus these results indicate that dopamine does not participate in RBF control at pressures above the inflection point for the lowest limit of RBF autoregulation but may be released at lower RPP to act as a vasodilator agent to oppose alpha-adrenoceptor-mediated reductions in RBF. Moreover, tonic DA receptor activation may influence the setting of the lower limit of canine RBF autoregulation.