Plasma dopamine-β-hydroxylase activity and the pressor effect of dopamine infusion in man

Summary

In order to study the function of dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH) in human plasma, dopamine, its natural substrate, was infused intravenously in 22 healthy volunteers. Their plasma DBH activities showed great interindividual variations (31–301 units/ml). The infusion rates of dopamine required to increase systolic blood pressure (BP) by 30 mm Hg differed considerably between the subjects, and ranged from 3,0 to 11,6 µg/kg/min. No correlation could be shown between the various dopamine doses and individual plasma levels of DBH. It was concluded, therefore, that plasma DBH in the blood stream was enzymatically inactive. Experiments with human plasma DBH in vitro also support this interpretation. Consequently, interindividual differences in the effects on BP during dopamine infusion cannot be due to pressor effects of noradrenaline synthesized by plasma DBH.