Arterial medial necrosis and hemorrhage induced in rats by intravenous infusion of fenoldopam mesylate, a dopaminergic vasodilator.

Fenoldopam mesylate, a selective, postsynaptic, dopaminergic vasodilator, was administered to rats for assessment of its clinical, toxicologic, and pathologic effects. Groups of 8 male and 8 female rats received 5, 25, 50, or 100 micrograms/kg/min by intravenous infusion for 24 hours. Groups of 12 male and 12 female rats received 2, 8, 16, or 20 mg/kg/day by intravenous injection once daily for 12 days. Tissues were examined by light microscopy. Rats infused for 24-hours with 5-100 micrograms/kg/min of fenoldopam had lesions of renal and splanchnic arteries characterized by medial necrosis and hemorrhage. None were seen in control rats or those administered the compound by intravenous injection. Arteries with four to five layers of medial smooth-muscle cells were most severely and frequently affected. Lesions were particularly severe in interlobular pancreatic arteries and subserosal gastric arteries. They occurred first at 4 hours, were present at low incidence at 8 hours, were induced in unrestrained rats, and were not caused by the experimental procedures employed. The nature and disposition of this novel arterial lesion in the rat suggests that its pathogenesis may be related to the pharmacologic activity of fenoldopam mesylate at the dopamine receptor.