Dopamine (medication)

This article is about the medication. For this substance as a natural biological molecule, see Dopamine.
For other uses, see Dopamine (disambiguation).

Dopamine
Skeletal formula of dopamine
Ball-and-stick model of the zwitterionic form of dopamine found in the crystal structure[1]
Clinical data
Trade namesIntropin, Dopastat, Revimine, others
Other names2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)ethylamine; 3,4-Dihydroxyphenethylamine; 3-hydroxytyramine; DA; Intropin; Revivan; Oxytyramine; Prolactin inhibiting factor; Prolactin inhibiting hormone
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
Routes of
administration		Intravenous
ATC code
Physiological data
Source tissuesSubstantia nigra; ventral tegmental area; many others
Target tissuesSystem-wide
ReceptorsD1, D2, D3, D4, D5, TAAR1[2]
AgonistsDirect: apomorphine, bromocriptine
Indirect: cocaine, substituted amphetamine, cathinone, bupropion
AntagonistsNeuroleptics, metoclopramide, domperidone
MetabolismMAO, COMT,[2] ALDH, DBH, MAO-A, MAO-B, COMT
Legal status
Legal status
  • EU: Rx-only[3]
  • In general: ℞ (Prescription only)
Pharmacokinetic data
MetabolismMAO, COMT,[2] ALDH, DBH, MAO-A, MAO-B, COMT
ExcretionKidney
Identifiers
  • 4-(2-Aminoethyl)benzene-1,2-diol
CAS Number
PubChem CID
IUPHAR/BPS
DrugBank
ChemSpider
UNII
KEGG
ChEBI
ChEMBL
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC8H11NO2
Molar mass153.181 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
Density1.26 g/cm3
Melting point128 °C (262 °F)
Boiling pointdecomposes
  • c1cc(c(cc1CCN)O)O
  • InChI=1S/C8H11NO2/c9-4-3-6-1-2-7(10)8(11)5-6/h1-2,5,10-11H,3-4,9H2 checkY
  • Key:VYFYYTLLBUKUHU-UHFFFAOYSA-N checkY
  (verify)

Dopamine, sold under the brand name Intropin among others, is a medication most commonly used in the treatment of very low blood pressure, a slow heart rate that is causing symptoms, and, if epinephrine is not available, cardiac arrest.[4] In newborn babies it continues to be the preferred treatment for very low blood pressure.[5] In children epinephrine or norepinephrine is generally preferred while in adults norepinephrine is generally preferred for very low blood pressure.[6][7] It is given intravenously or intraosseously as a continuous infusion.[4] Effects typically begin within five minutes.[4] Doses are then increased to effect.[4]

Common side effects include worsening kidney function, an irregular heartbeat, chest pain, vomiting, headache, or anxiety.[4] If it enters into the soft tissue around the vein local tissue death may occur.[4] The medication phentolamine can be given to try to decrease this risk.[4] It is unclear if dopamine is safe to use during pregnancy or breastfeeding.[4] At low doses dopamine mainly triggers dopamine receptors and β1-adrenergic receptors while at high doses it works via α-adrenergic receptors.[4]

Dopamine was first synthesized in a laboratory in 1910 by George Barger and James Ewens in England.[8] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[9] In human physiology dopamine is a neurotransmitter as well as a hormone.[10]

  1. ^ Cruickshank L, Kennedy AR, Shankland N (2013). "Tautomeric and ionisation forms of dopamine and tyramine in the solid state". J. Mol. Struct. 1051: 132–136. Bibcode:2013JMoSt1051..132C. doi:10.1016/j.molstruc.2013.08.002.
  2. ^ a b "Dopamine: Biological activity". IUPHAR/BPS guide to pharmacology. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Neoatricon EPAR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Dopamine Hydrochloride". drugs.com. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. 29 June 2016. Archived from the original on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  5. ^ Bhayat SI, Gowda HM, Eisenhut M (May 2016). "Should dopamine be the first line inotrope in the treatment of neonatal hypotension? Review of the evidence". World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics. 5 (2): 212–222. doi:10.5409/wjcp.v5.i2.212. PMC 4857235. PMID 27170932.
  6. ^ De Backer D, Aldecoa C, Njimi H, Vincent JL (March 2012). "Dopamine versus norepinephrine in the treatment of septic shock: a meta-analysis*". Critical Care Medicine. 40 (3): 725–730. doi:10.1097/ccm.0b013e31823778ee. PMID 22036860. S2CID 24620964.
  7. ^ Dellinger RP, Levy MM, Rhodes A, Annane D, Gerlach H, Opal SM, et al. (February 2013). "Surviving sepsis campaign: international guidelines for management of severe sepsis and septic shock: 2012". Critical Care Medicine. 41 (2): 580–637. doi:10.1097/CCM.0b013e31827e83af. PMID 23353941. S2CID 34855187.
  8. ^ Fahn S (2008). "The history of dopamine and levodopa in the treatment of Parkinson's disease". Movement Disorders. 23 (Suppl 3): S497–S508. doi:10.1002/mds.22028. PMID 18781671. S2CID 45572523. According to Hornykiewicz,6 dopamine was first synthesized by George Barger and James Ewens in 1910 at the Wellcome labs in London, England.
  9. ^ World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
  10. ^ Millar T (2002). Biochemistry explained : a practical guide to learning biochemistry. London: Routledge. p. 40. ISBN 9780415299411. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016.