Plasma levels and renal clearance of two isomers of dopamine sulfate in patients with essential hypertension.

Two isomers of dopamine sulfate, dopamine 3-O-sulfate(3-O-S) and dopamine 4-O-sulfate(4-O-S), in the plasma and urine of patients with essential hypertension and normotensive controls were measured by HPLC-fluorometry. The plasma level of 3-O-S was significantly higher in patients with essential hypertension than in normotensive controls (20.9 +/- 2.2 pmol/ml and 16.3 +/- 1.4 pmol/ml respectively, p less than 0.05) and the plasma levels of 4-O-S were slightly increased in hypertensive patients. The plasma level of 3-O-S was correlated with the serum level of creatinine in both normotensives and hypertensives. In hypertensives, the plasma level of 3-O-S was also correlated with that of noradrenaline. However the creatinine clearances were similar in the two groups, the urinary clearance of 3-O-S was slightly lower in patients with essential hypertension than in normotensive controls. These data indicate that the plasma level of 3-O-S is elevated in essential hypertension because of the abnormality in dopaminergic metabolism and renal disturbance in its excretion.