Cardiovascular dopamine receptors: role of renal dopamine and dopamine receptors in sodium excretion.

Research efforts in the area of peripheral dopamine have now established the presence of two distinct subtypes--DA1 and DA2--of DA receptors, and have identified a potential role for dopamine produced within the kidney in the control of renal sodium excretion. Selective DA1 and DA2 receptor agonists are being developed because they exhibit therapeutic potential for treatment of cardiovascular and renal disorders. Furthermore, basic research efforts are aimed towards identifying the stimulus and/or stimuli for the production of dopamine within the kidney and characterizing the cellular signalling processes involved in mediating the renal effects of dopamine and selective DA receptor agonists.