Dopamine is a neurotransmitter used by particular cells in the body to communicate with each other. Some cells in the body have receptors for dopamine that allow them to react in specific ways. There are two basic groups of dopamine receptors: the D1 and D2 families. An article published in the Journal of Neuroscience by researcher C.R. Gerfen found that D1 and D2 dopamine receptors co-activated each other to work synergistically in the striatum area of the brain. Dopamine receptors are found primarily in the central nervous system, cardio-pulmonary system and the kidneys.
Pathologies of Dopamine Receptor
In the central nervous system, dopamine receptors control the signals among brain cells, regulating mood, emotions and behavior. Two of the more commonly known pathological associations of dopamine in the central nervous system are with schizophrenia (relative dopamine excess) and Parkinson's disease (relative dopamine deficiency). An article published in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology by researchers P. Seeman and H.B. Niznik, cited the correlation between dopamine receptor pathologies found in the excess or deficiency in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or Parkinson's disease. Additionally, dopamine is a primary neurotransmitter in the action/reward pathways in the brain, the receptors that play a significant role in substance abuse and addiction. Some drugs in some bodies cause the receptors to be over-stimulated, resulting in the "reward" feeling when taking the drug.
Cardio-Pulmonary Effects of Dopamine Receptors
Dopamine receptors can be found in the blood vessels running between the heart and lungs, where they have an important role in blood flow and blood pressure regulation. Furthermore, dopamine receptors can be found in the heart itself, where activation of the receptor increases contractile functions of the myocardial heart muscles and increases the cardiac output volume of blood from the heart.
Dopamine Receptors on Kidney Functions
Dopamine receptors are also found in the kidneys, where they play a role in the amount and concentration of urine produced. An article published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology by researcher M.F. Lokhandwala cited subtypes of dopamine receptors known as DA-1 and DA-2, which were distributed in all regions of the kidney, including its vasculature. Additionally, the research discovered the functions of these subtype dopamine receptors to include inhibitory effects of sodium re-absorption from the kidney tubules, which accounts for the diuretic and natriuresis (kidney excretion of large sodium quantities in the urine) effects.
