Effectiveness of ibopamine in the management of ascitic liver cirrhosis--a controlled study v placebo and frusemide.

1 Thirty in-patients of both sexes suffering from ascitic liver cirrhosis were divided into three groups treated with (a) a placebo, (b) ibopamine (SB 7505, a new oral dopaminergic drug) and (c) frusemide, for 10 days. 2 Body weight decreased with both frusemide and ibopamine, diuresis and urinary excretion of Na+ and Cl- increased with both drugs; whereas urinary excretion of K+ increased only with frusemide. 3 An important difference between the frusemide and ibopamine treatment was encountered in creatinine clearance, which increased only with ibopamine, and in blood uric acid which increased only with frusemide. 4 The antidiuretic hormone (ADH) in the plasma of cirrhotic patients was lower than the sensitivity limit of the radioimmunoassay method, whereas in a group of healthy subjects it could be clearly measured. 5 The treatments did not affect systolic or diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, or a series of haematochemical parameters. 6 The increase in diuresis and creatinine clearance and the very good tolerability encountered with ibopamine highlight this new oral dopamine agonist as a useful drug in the management of liver cirrhosis.