The present invention relates generally to a method of treatment and in particular a method of treating a subject exhibiting symptoms of kidney failure or are at risk of developing same. Even more particularly, the present invention provides a method of treating kidney failure or reducing the risk of developing kidney failure in a subject such as following or during or prior to sepsis or a related condition including severe sepsis, septic shock and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome or any state of systemic or renal vasodilatation with low blood pressure and a high cardiac output with kidney failure, such as liver disease with associated kidney failure or kidney failure after cardiopulmonary bypass in patients in whom the systemic inflammatory syndrome which follows such cardiopulmonary bypass is associated with a high cardiac output and systemic or renal vasodilatation or kidney failure in other conditions which lead to the systemic inflammatory response syndrome with systemic or renal vasodilatation such as major trauma, major surgery and similar states which can induce the aforementioned systemic inflammatory response syndrome.