Purpose: To evaluate the protective effect of low-dose dopamine given as continuous infusion in patients who undergo chemotherapy with the nephrotoxin cisplatin.
Patients and methods: Forty-two patients who received high-dose cisplatin-containing chemotherapy entered a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Twenty-one patients received dopamine, and 21 received placebo. Patients were to receive either infusional dopamine 2 micrograms/kg/min over 48 hours or placebo. Cisplatin 125 mg/m2 was administered 12 hours after initiating dopamine (group D) or placebo (group P). This schedule was repeated twice, 1 week apart. Measurements of serum creatinine, urinary electrolytes and creatinine, urinary excretion of epidermal growth factor (EGF), ototoxicity, parameters of hematopoietic recovery, and duration of hospitalization were analyzed.
Results: We observed an increase in serum creatinine level to a peak of 1.9 mg/dL (range, 0.8 to 7.8) in the dopamine group, in comparison to 1.4 mg/dL (range, 0.9 to 3.3) in the placebo group (P = .04). Urinary magnesium excretion increased and EGF excretion decreased in both groups. Urinary sodium, chloride, and potassium excretion were increased in both groups, but more so in the placebo group. Dopamine had no measurable effect on hearing loss, duration of hospitalization, or hematopoietic recovery.
Conclusion: The use of prophylactic dopamine increased peak serum creatinine levels relative to placebo and failed to prevent cisplatin-induced renal toxicity or ototoxicity. Determination of whether dopamine could reverse chemotherapy-induced renal damage would require a randomized prospective trial.