Effects of dopamine on renal function in the rat isolated perfused kidney

The renal effects of dopamine, the dopamine antagonist spiperone and the combination of dopamine and spiperone were examined in the isolated perfused rat kidney preparation. Studies were carried out at constant perfusion pressure and the following were measured at 10 min intervals for 1 h: perfusate flow; GFR (3H-inulin); urine flow rate; sodium, potassium and kallikrein excretion; perfusate renin concentration; perfusate and urinary-dopamine levels. Low-dose dopamine infusion (6 X 10(-10) mol/min) resulted in significant diuresis, natriuresis and kaluresis but little change in GFR. These effects were blocked by spiperone (10(-10) mol/min) which had no significant effects when infused alone. At a higher dose (10(-8) mol/min) dopamine significantly increased urine flow alone; this too was reversed by spiperone. Dopamine had no significant effects on perfusate flow, renin release or kallikrein excretion. Perfused control kidneys excreted amounts of dopamine (328 pmol/h, s.e.m. = 57, n = 6) far in excess of kidney dopamine content (49 pmol/g, s.e.m. = 6, n = 32). Renal handling of infused dopamine was dose-related; the fraction of the administered dose taken up and/or metabolized by the kidney on the higher dose infusion was considerably less than on the lower dose (40%, s.e.m. = 3 vs. 82%, s.e.m. = 6) while more was excreted (13%, s.e.m. = 3 vs. 2%, s.e.m. = 1). These studies indicate that dopamine at low doses can produce diuresis, natriuresis and kaluresis independently of extrarenal or haemodynamic influences and not mediated by renal renin or kallikrein systems. The kidney also exhibits a saturable capacity for dopamine uptake and/or metabolism.