BENEFICIAL ACUTE EFFECTS OF SELECTIVE MODULATION OF RENAL DOPAMINE SYSTEM BY GAMMA-L-GLUTAMYL-L-DOPA IN RABBITS WITH CONGESTIVE-HEART-FAILURE

Abstract

gamma-L-Glutamyl-L-dopa (gludopa) is a dopamine (DA) prodrug with a high degree of renal selectivity. We compared the acute renal effects of gludopa in conscious control rabbits (n = 6) and rabbits with doxorubicin-induced congestive heart failure (CHF, n = 5). Normal saline and gludopa 25 and 100 micrograms/kg/min were infused intravenously (i.v.), each for 60 min. One week later, the same protocol was followed except that the DA-1 antagonist SCH 23390 was given i.v. in a dose of 0.3 mg/kg 10 min before gludopa infusion. An additional control group (n = 6) received the DA-1 antagonist alone and saline vehicle infusion throughout the study period. In both control and CHF groups, gludopa elic..