Renal Effects of L-DOPA in Heart Failure

We examined whether low-dose L-DOPA treatment induces natriuresis and diuresis in patients with congestive heart failure who have cardiac decompensation despite treatment with digoxin, a diuretic, and an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and who respond acutely to intravenously infused dopamine. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, 11 patients with severe congestive heart failure received L-DOPA (0.10 g, p.o., t.i.d., for 1 day and then 0.25 g, p.o., t.i.d., for 2 days after a washout period of > or = 1 day), with assessments of plasma and urinary levels of catechols, urinary volume, and sodium content, and clinical and laboratory measures of improvement of congestive heart failure. L-DOPA elicited short-term, dose-related increases in urinary volume and sodium excretion. At the 0.10-g dose, L-DOPA increased plasma L-DOPA levels and urinary L-DOPA excretion by about fivefold, whereas at the 0.25-g dose, L-DOPA increased plasma and urinary L-DOPA by >50-fold. Twenty-four-hour urinary dopamine excretion increased by about fivefold after the low dose of L-DOPA and approximately 50-fold after the high dose. The results demonstrate that oral L-DOPA treatment can produce beneficial natriuretic and diuretic effects in selected patients with congestive heart failure. The bioavailability of oral L-DOPA appears to vary with the dose. These results support findings from previous studies about beneficial cardiac functional effects of L-DOPA in patients with refractory heart failure.