Dopamine, the kidney and essential hypertension studies with gludopa

The formation and action of intrarenal dopamine is reviewed, as also is the evidence for the use of gamma-L-glutamyl-L-dopa as a relatively renally specific dopaminergic pro-drug. 'Salt sensitive' patients with essential hypertension may have a fault in the renal mobilisation of dopamine by sodium chloride. This failure of sodium to dopamine coupling may be particularly prevalent in the Negro race.