Screening anabolic androgenic steroids in human urine: an application of the state-of-the-art gas chromatography-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Over the past few decades, anabolic androgenic steroids (AASs) have been abused in and out of competition for their performance-enhancing and muscle-building properties. Traditionally, AASs were commonly detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the initial testing procedure for doping control purposes. Gas chromatography-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-Orbitrap-HRMS) is a new technology that has many advantages in comparison with GC-MS (e.g., a maximum resolving power of 240,000 (FWHM at m/z 200), excellent sub-ppm mass accuracy, and retrospective data analysis after data acquisition). Anti-doping practitioners are encouraged to take full advantage of the updated techniques of chromatography-mass spectrometry to develop sensitive, specific, and rapid screening methods for AASs. A new method for screening a wide range of AASs in human urine using GC-Orbitrap-HRMS was developed and validated. The method can qualitatively determine 70 anabolic androgenic steroids according to the minimum required performance limit of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Moreover, the validated method was successfully applied to detect six metabolites in urine after the oral administration of metandienone, and their excretion curves in vivo were studied. Metandienone M6 (17ß-hydroxymethyl-17α-methyl-18-nor-androst-1,4,13-trien-3-one) has been identified as a long-term urinary metabolite which can be detected up to 7 weeks, thus providing a longer detection window compared with previous studies. This study provides a rationale for GC-Orbitrap-HRMS in drug metabolism and non-targeted screening.

Detection of boldenone in the urine of female horses-ex vivo formation versus administration.

Boldenone is an anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) that is prohibited in equine sports. However, in certain situations, it is endogenous, potentially formed by the microbes in urine. An approach to the differentiation based on the detection of the biomarkers Δ1-progesterone, 20(S)-hydroxy-Δ1-progesterone and 20(S)-hydroxyprogesterone was assessed, and their concentrations were monitored in the urine of untreated female horses (n = 291) alongside boldenone, boldienone, testosterone and androstenedione. Using an ultra-sensitive analytical method, boldenone (256 ± 236 pg/mL, n = 290) and the biomarkers (Δ1-progesterone up to 57.6 pg/mL, n = 8; 20(S)-hydroxy-Δ1-progesterone 85.3 ± 181 pg/mL, n = 130; 20(S)-hydroxyprogesterone 43.5 ± 92.1 pg/mL, n = 158) were detected at low concentrations. The ex vivo production of Δ1-steroids was artificially induced following the storage of urine samples at room temperature for 7 days in order to assess the concentrations and ratios of the monitored steroids. The administration of inappropriately stored feed source also resulted in an increase in 20(S)-hydroxy-Δ1-progesterone concentrations and the biomarker ratios. Using the results from different datasets, an approach to differentiation was developed. In situations where the presence of boldenone exceeds a proposed action limit of 5 ng/mL, the presence of the biomarkers would be investigated. If Δ1-progesterone is above 50 pg/mL or if 20(S)-hydroxy-Δ1-progesterone is above 100 pg/mL with the ratio of 20(S)-hydroxy-Δ1-progesterone:20(S)-hydroxyprogesterone greater than 5:1, then this would indicate ex vivo transformation or consumption of altered feed rather than steroid administration. There remains a (small) possibility of a false negative result, but the model increases confidence that adverse analytical findings reported in female horses are caused by AAS administrations.

Differentiation of boldenone administration from ex vivo transformation in the urine of castrated male horses.

Boldenone is an anabolic-androgenic steroid that is prohibited in equine sports. However, in certain situations, it is endogenous or is believed to be formed by microbes in urine, and therefore, an approach for the differentiation is required. Following the identification of Δ1-progesterone and 20(S)-hydroxy-Δ1-progesterone as potential biomarkers of microbial activity, the presence of six steroids was investigated in the postrace urine of castrated male horses (geldings, n = 158). In line with endogenous findings from several other species when ultrasensitive methods are employed, boldenone was detected at low concentrations in all urine samples (27.0-1330 pg/ml). Furthermore, testosterone and androstenedione were detected in 157 samples (≤12,400 and 944 pg/ml, respectively), boldienone in two samples (≤22.0 pg/ml) and 20(S)-hydroxy-Δ1-progesterone in 20 samples (≤66.0 pg/ml). Δ1-Progesterone was not detected in any population samples analysed on arrival at the laboratory. The ex vivo transformation of boldienone, boldenone, androstenedione, Δ1-progesterone and 20(S)-hydroxy-Δ1-progesterone was induced following the storage of urine samples at room temperature for 7 days but not after refrigeration. Because the administration of inappropriately stored feed sources also resulted in an increase in 20(S)-hydroxy-Δ1-progesterone concentrations, a biomarker approach to distinguish steroid administrations was proposed. In situations where the presence of boldenone would exceed a proposed action limit, the presence of Δ1-progesterone and 20(S)-hydroxy-Δ1-progesterone would be investigated. If either Δ1-progesterone or 20(S)-hydroxy-Δ1-progesterone would exceed 50 and 100 pg/ml, respectively, for instance, then this would indicate ex vivo transformation or consumption of altered feed rather than steroid administration.

Nandrolone and estradiol biomarkers identification in bovine urine applying a liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry metabolomics approach.

With the aim of specifically investigating patterns associated with three steroid treatments (17ß-nandrolone, 17ß-estradiol, and 17ß-nandrolone + 17ß-estradiol) in bovine, an reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC)-electrospray ionization (ESI)(+/-)-high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) study was conducted to characterize the urinary profiles of involved animals. Although specific fingerprints with strong differences could be highlighted between urinary metabolite profiles within urine samples collected on control and treated animals, it appeared further that significant discriminations could also be observed between steroid treatments, evidencing thus specific patterns and candidate biomarkers associated to each treatment. An MS-2 structural elucidation step enabled level-1 identification of two biomarkers mainly involved in energy pathways, in relation to skeletal muscle functioning. These results make it possible to envisage a global strategy for the detection of anabolic practices involving steroids, while at the same time providing clues as to the compounds used, which would facilitate the confirmation stage to follow.

High-throughput liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry assay as initial testing procedure for analysis of total urinary fraction.

In the recent years, a lot of effort was put into the development of multiclass initial testing procedures (ITP) to streamline analytical workflow in antidoping laboratories. Here, a high-throughput assay based on liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry suitable for use as initial testing procedure covering multiple classes of compounds prohibited in sports is described. Employing a 96-well plate packed with 10 mg of weak cation exchange polymeric sorbent, up to 94 urine samples and their associated positive and negative controls can be processed in less than 3 h with minimal labor. The assay requires a 0.5-ml urine aliquot, which is subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis followed by solid phase extraction, evaporation, and reconstitution in a 96-well collection plate. With a 10-min run time, more than 100 analytes can be detected using electrospray ionization with polarity switching. The assay can be run nearly 24/7 with minimal downtime for instrument maintenance while detecting picogram amounts for the majority of analytes. Having analyzed approximately 28,000 samples, nearly 400 adverse analytical findings were found of which only one tenth were at or above 50% of the minimum required performance level established by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Compounds most often identified were stanozolol, GW1516, ostarine, LGD4033, and clomiphene, with median estimated concentrations in the range of 0.02-0.09 ng/ml (either as parent drug or a metabolite). Our data demonstrate the importance of using a highly sensitive ITP to ensure efficient antidoping testing.

Searching for new long-term urinary metabolites of metenolone and drostanolone using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with a focus on non-hydrolysed sulfates.

Sulfated metabolites have been shown to have potential as long-term markers of anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) abuse. In 2019, the compatibility of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with non-hydrolysed sulfated steroids was demonstrated, and this approach allowed the incorporation of these compounds in a broad GC-MS initial testing procedure at a later stage. However, research is needed to identify which are beneficial. In this study, a search for new long-term metabolites of two popular AAS, metenolone and drostanolone, was undertaken through two excretion studies each. The excretion samples were analysed using GC-chemical ionization-triple quadrupole MS (GC-CI-MS/MS) after the application of three separate sample preparation methodologies (i.e. hydrolysis with Escherichia coli-derived ß-glucuronidase, Helix pomatia-derived ß-glucuronidase/arylsulfatase and non-hydrolysed sulfated steroids). For metenolone, a non-hydrolysed sulfated metabolite, 1ß-methyl-5α-androstan-17-one-3ζ-sulfate, was documented for the first time to provide the longest detection time of up to 17 days. This metabolite increased the detection time by nearly a factor of 2 in comparison with the currently monitored markers for metenolone in a routine doping control initial testing procedure. In the second excretion study, it prolonged the detection window by 25%. In the case of drostanolone, the non-hydrolysed sulfated metabolite with the longest detection time was the sulfated analogue of the main drostanolone metabolite (3α-hydroxy-2α-methyl-5α-androstan-17-one) with a detection time of up to 24 days. However, the currently monitored main drostanolone metabolite in routine doping control, after hydrolysis of the glucuronide with E.coli, remained superior in detection time (i.e. up to 29 days).

An investigation on the metabolic pathways of synthetic isoflavones by gas chromatography coupled to high accuracy mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE: Isoflavones are a group of flavonoids that may be of interest in sport doping because they can be used by athletes in the recovery periods after the administration of anabolic steroids, with the aim of increasing the natural production of luteinizing hormone (LH) and, consequently, the biosynthesis of endogenous androgens. METHODS: The in vivo metabolism of methoxyisoflavone (5-methyl-7-methoxyisoflavone) and ipriflavone (7-isopropoxyisoflavone), respectively present in a dietary supplement and in a pharmaceutical preparation, was investigated. The study was carried out by the analysis of urinary samples collected from male Caucasian subjects before, during and after the oral administration of methoxyisoflavone or ipriflavone. After enzymatic hydrolysis and liquid-liquid extraction, all urinary samples were analyzed by gas chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight (qTOF MS system/qTOF) electron ionization mass spectrometry (EI-MS). RESULTS: Eight metabolites of methoxyisoflavone and six metabolites of ipriflavone were isolated. The corresponding accurate mass spectra are specific for isoflavone structures and revealed also a retro-Diels-Alder fragmentation. CONCLUSIONS: When excreted in large amounts, the urinary metabolites of methoxyisoflavone and ipriflavone can be traced to potential confounding factors in doping analysis. As methoxyisoflavone and ipriflavone have been shown to inhibit the enzyme aromatase, thus interfering with the normal metabolic pathways of testosterone, the detection of their intake, by screening for the presence of their main metabolites in urine, might be helpful in routine doping control analysis.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of non-hydrolyzed sulfated steroids by degradation product formation.

Steroid detection and identification remain key issues in toxicology, drug testing, medical diagnostics, food safety control, and doping control. In this study, we evaluate the capabilities and usefulness of analyzing non-hydrolyzed sulfated steroids with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) instead of the conventionally applied liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) approach. Sulfates of 31 steroids were synthesized and their MS and chromatographic behavior studied by chemical ionization-GC-triple quadrupole MS (CI-GC-TQMS) and low energy-electron ionization-GC-quadrupole time-of-flight-MS (LE-EI-GC-QTOF-MS). The collected data shows that the sulfate group is cleaved off in the injection port of the GC-MS, forming two isomers. In CI, the dominant species (ie, [MH - H2 SO4 ]+ or [MH - H4 S2 O8 ]+ for bis-sulfates) is very abundant due to the limited amount of fragmentation, making it an ideal precursor ion for MS/MS. In LE-EI, [M - H2 SO4 ].+ and/or [M - H2 SO4 - CH3 ].+ are the dominant species in most cases. Based on the common GC-MS behavior of non-hydrolyzed sulfated steroids, two applications were evaluated and compared with the conventionally applied LC-MS approach; (a) discovery of (new) sulfated steroid metabolites of mesterolone and (b) expanding anabolic androgenic steroid abuse detection windows. GC-MS and LC-MS analysis of non-hydrolyzed sulfated steroids offered comparable sensitivities, superseding these of GC-MS after hydrolysis. For non-hydrolyzed sulfated steroids, GC-MS offers a higher structural elucidating power and a more straightforward inclusion in screening methods than LC-MS.

Development and validation of an open screening method for doping substances in urine by gas chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

In anti-doping, a high number of classes of substances are prohibited and laboratories need to detect these at low urinary concentrations. Traditionally, testing is done using complimentary liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and gas chromatography mass spectrometry. High resolution mass spectrometric acquisition has some important advantages over triple quadrupole instruments (e.g., open screening due to full scan high resolution data acquisition with retrospectivity, compatibility with libraries and a straightforward and effortless addition and validation of new compounds in the future). Doping samples can be stored for 10 years and retrospective data analysis can be used to re-evaluate previously acquired data (e.g., searching for prohibited (designer) substances that were unknown at the initial moment of analysis). During the past decade, these advantages have led to the wide-scale transfer of liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry screening to liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry screening for doping control purposes. Up to now, for gas chromatography a similar switch to high resolution screening has not yet occurred, because so far no method has been developed that combines sufficient sensitivity with wide-scale drug detection. In this work, the current gas chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry screening method for human doping control purposes was successfully converted into an equivalent and complete gas chromatography high resolution acquisition screening method. This new screening method on a gas chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer has been developed and validated. The method is compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency requirements and allows the detection of 294 target compounds (and 14 internal standards), including diuretics, stimulants, narcotics, beta-2-agonists, beta-blockers, hormone modulators, anabolic agents and the quantification of 14 endogenous steroids in a single fast run (14.1 min).

Gas chromatographic quadrupole time-of-flight full scan high resolution mass spectrometric screening of human urine in antidoping analysis.

This paper presents the development and validation of a high-resolution full scan (FS) electron impact ionization (EI) gas chromatography coupled to quadrupole Time-of-Flight mass spectrometry (GC/QTOF) platform for screening anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) in human urine samples. The World Antidoping Agency (WADA) enlists AAS as prohibited doping agents in sports, and our method has been developed to comply with the qualitative specifications of WADA to be applied for the detection of sports antidoping prohibited substances, mainly for AAS. The method also comprises of the quantitative analysis of the WADA's Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) endogenous steroidal parameters. The applied preparation of urine samples includes enzymatic hydrolysis for the cleavage of the Phase II glucuronide conjugates, generic liquid-liquid extraction and trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatization steps. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) acquisition was applied on few selected ions to enhance the specificity and sensitivity of GC/TOF signal of few compounds. The full scan high resolution acquisition of analytical signal, for known and unknown TMS derivatives of AAS provides the antidoping system with a new analytical tool for the detection designer drugs and novel metabolites, which prolongs the AAS detection, after electronic data files' reprocessing. The current method is complementary to the respective liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC/MS) methodology widely used to detect prohibited molecules in sport, which cannot be efficiently ionized with atmospheric pressure ionization interface.

Coupling of gas chromatography and electrospray ionization high resolution mass spectrometry for the analysis of anabolic steroids as trimethylsilyl derivatives in human urine.

In this study, gas chromatography (GC) was interfaced with high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) with electrospray ionization source (ESI) and the relevant parameters were investigated to enhance the ionization efficiency. In GC-ESI, the distances (x-, y- and z) and angle between the ESI needle, GC capillary column and MS orifice were set to 7 (x-distance), 4 (y-distance), and 1 mm (z-distance). The ESI spray solvent, acid modifier and nebulizer gas flow were methanol, 0.1% formic acid and 5 arbitrary units, respectively. Based on these results, analytical conditions for GC-ESI/HRMS were established. In particular, the results of spray solvent flow indicated a concentration-dependent mechanism (peak dilution effect), and other parameters also greatly influenced the ionization performance. The developed GC-ESI/HRMS was then applied to the analysis of anabolic steroids as trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives in human urine to demonstrate its application. The ionization profiles of TMS-derivatized steroids were investigated and compared with those of underivatized steroids obtained from gas chromatography-electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (GC-ESI/MS) and liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/MS). The steroids exhibited ionization profiles based on their structural characteristics, regardless of the analyte phase or derivatization. Groups I and II with conjugated or unconjugated keto functional groups at C3 generated the [M+H]+ and [M+H-TMS]+ ions, respectively. On the other hand, Groups III and IV gave rise to the characteristic fragment ions [M+H-TMS-H2O]+ and [M+H-2TMS-H2O]+, corresponding to loss of a neutral TMS·H2O moiety from the protonated molecular ion by in-source dissociation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to successfully ionize and analyze steroids as TMS derivatives using ESI coupled with GC. The present system has enabled the ionization of TMS derivatives under ESI conditions and this method has potential as a novel ionization tool. It is also useful for the simultaneous analysis of steroids as TMS derivatives.

Optimization of an online heart-cutting multidimensional gas chromatography clean-up step for isotopic ratio mass spectrometry and simultaneous quadrupole mass spectrometry measurements of endogenous anabolic steroid in urine.

Measuring carbon isotope ratios (CIRs) of urinary analytes represents a cornerstone of doping control analysis and has been particularly optimized for the detection of the misuse of endogenous steroids. Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) of appropriate quality, however, necessitates adequate purities of the investigated steroids, which requires extensive pre-analytical sample clean-up steps due to both the natural presence of the target analytes and the high complexity of the matrix. In order to accelerate the sample preparation and increase the automation of the process, the use of multidimensional gas chromatography (MDGC) prior to IRMS experiments, was investigated. A well-established instrumental configuration based on two independent GC ovens and one heart-cutting device was optimized. The first dimension (1D) separation was obtained by a non-polar column which assured high efficiency and good loading capacity, while the second dimension (2D), based on a mid-polar stationary phase, provided good selectivity. A flame ionization detector monitored the 1D, and the 2D was simultaneously recorded by isotope ratio and quadrupole mass spectrometry. The assembled MDGC set-up was applied for measuring testosterone, 5α- and 5ß-androstanediol, androsterone, and etiocholanolone as target compounds and pregnanediol as endogenous reference compound. The urine sample were pretreated by conventional sample preparation steps comprising solid-phase extraction, hydrolysis, and liquid-liquid extraction. The extract obtained was acetylated and different aliquots were injected into the MDGC system. Two high performance liquid chromatography steps, conventionally adopted prior to CIR measurements, were replaced by the MDGC approach. The obtained values were consistent with the conventional ones. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A screening and determinative method for the analysis of natural and synthetic steroids, stilbenes and resorcyclic acid lactones in bovine urine.

Our laboratory has four separate methods for the analysis of trenbolone, stilbenes, resorcyclic acid lactones, and estradiol in bovine urine. The method described in this paper was in response to a client request to consolidate the methods preferably into one method. A multiresidue semi-quantitative method was developed and any suspect positive samples detected by the method were subjected to the method of standard addition to accurately quantify the concentration of the positive analyte. Samples were enzymatically hydrolyzed using ß-glucuronidase after which, supported liquid extraction on HM-N cartridges was performed, followed by solvent exchange into methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). The samples were evaporated and reconstituted into 10% methanol in water and loaded onto a SampliQ OPT SPE. The cleaned-up extract was further cleaned up on a SampliQ NH2 cartridge. The SPE eluate was split into two for analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) using electron ionization (EI) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) using both positive and negative electrospray. It was found that with the exception of estradiol and trenbolone all compounds could be analyzed by both GC-MS and LC-MS/MS, providing a semi-quantitative method. It is recommended that quantification is achieved using standard addition. Of the 13 compounds successfully monitored, the limits of detection (LODs), and the limits of quantification (LOQs) obtained were within the Codex limits for the target concentrations. As far as the authors are aware, the use of supported liquid extraction has not been reported for bovine urine analysis. © 2016 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Drug Testing and Analysis © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Liquid chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography as alternative techniques to gas chromatography for the rapid screening of anabolic agents in urine.

This work describes the development of two methods involving supported liquid extraction (SLE) sample treatment followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography or ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS and UHPSFC-MS/MS) for the screening of 43 anabolic agents in human urine. After evaluating different stationary phases, a polar-embedded C18 and a diol columns were selected for UHPLC-MS/MS and UHPSFC-MS/MS, respectively. Sample preparation, mobile phases and MS conditions were also finely tuned to achieve highest selectivity, chromatographic resolution and sensitivity. Then, the performance of these two methods was compared to the reference routine procedure for steroid analyses in anti-doping laboratories, which combines liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) followed by gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). For this purpose, urine samples spiked with the compounds of interest at five different concentrations were analyzed using the three analytical platforms. The retention and selectivity of the three techniques were very different, ensuring a good complementarity. However, the two new methods displayed numerous advantages. The overall procedure was much faster thanks to high throughput SLE sample treatment using 48-well plates and faster chromatographic analysis. Moreover, the highest sensitivity was attained using UHPLC-MS/MS with 98% of the doping agents detected at the lowest concentration level (0.1ng/mL), against 76% for UHPSFC-MS/MS and only 14% for GC-MS/MS. Finally, the weakest matrix effects were obtained with UHPSFC-MS/MS with 76% of the analytes displaying relative matrix effect between -20 and 20%, while the GC-MS/MS reference method displayed very strong matrix effects (over 100%) for all of the anabolic agents.

The use of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry to demonstrate progesterone treatment in bovines.

Currently, no analytical method is available to demonstrate progesterone administration in biological samples collected in rearing animals, and therefore, tracking the abuse of this popular growth promoter is arduous. In this study, a method is presented to reveal progesterone (PG) treatment on the basis of carbon isotope measurement of 5ß-pregnane-3α, 20α-diol (BAA-PD), a major PG metabolite excreted in bovine urine, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-MS/C/IRMS). 5-Androstene-3ß,17α-diol (AEdiol) is used as endogenous reference compound. Intermediate precisions (n=11) of 0.56‰ and 0.68‰ have been determined for AEdiol and BAA-PD, respectively. The analytical method was used for the very first time to successfully differentiate urine samples collected in treated and untreated animals.

Potential of atmospheric pressure chemical ionization source in gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for the screening of urinary exogenous androgenic anabolic steroids.

The atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis has been evaluated for the screening of 16 exogenous androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) in urine. The sample treatment is based on the strategy currently applied in doping control laboratories i.e. enzymatic hydrolysis, liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and derivatization to form the trimethylsilyl ether-trimethylsilyl enol ether (TMS) derivatives. These TMS derivatives are then analyzed by gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry using a triple quadrupole instrument (GC-QqQ MS/MS) under selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. The APCI promotes soft ionization with very little fragmentation resulting, in most cases, in abundant [M + H](+) or [M + H-2TMSOH](+) ions, which can be chosen as precursor ions for the SRM transitions, improving in this way the selectivity and sensitivity of the method. Specificity of the transitions is also of great relevance, as the presence of endogenous compounds can affect the measurements when using the most abundant ions. The method has been qualitatively validated by spiking six different urine samples at two concentration levels each. Precision was generally satisfactory with RSD values below 25 and 15% at the low and high concentration level, respectively. Most the limits of detection (LOD) were below 0.5 ng mL(-1). Validation results were compared with the commonly used method based on the electron ionization (EI) source. EI analysis was found to be slightly more repeatable whereas lower LODs were found for APCI. In addition, the applicability of the developed method has been tested in samples collected after the administration of 4-chloromethandienone. The highest sensitivity of the APCI method for this compound, allowed to increase the period in which its administration can be detected.

Factors affecting urinary excretion of testosterone metabolites conjugated with cysteine.

The implementation of the athlete steroidal passport in doping control analysis aims to detect intra-individual changes in the steroid profile related to the abuse of anabolic steroids. In this context, the study of intrinsic variations associated with each marker is of utmost importance. In the present work, the influence of several factors in the excretion of the recently reported testosterone metabolites conjugated with cysteine (Δ(1) -AED; 1,4-androstadien-3,17-dione, Δ(6) -AED; 4,6-androstadien-3,17-dione, Δ(6) -T; 4,6-androstadien-17ß-ol-3-one, and Δ(15) -AD; 15-androsten-3,17-dione) is evaluated for the first time. Degradation experiments at 37 °C proved that, although the cysteinyl moiety is released, the variation for urinary Δ(1) -AED/Δ(6) -AED, Δ(1) -AED/Δ(6) -T ratios is less than 30%. Moreover, freeze/thaw cycle testing resulted in RSDs values below 15% for all the analytes. Regarding infradian variability, moderate variations (below 40%) were observed. Additionally, notable alterations in the excretion of these compounds have been observed in the earliest stages of pregnancy. UGT2B17 polymorphism, responsible for the low T/E ratio found in some population, does not influence the excretion of cysteinyl compounds whereas the intake of exogenous substances (alcohol or 5α-reductase inhibitors) dramatically affects their excretion. The urinary concentrations of Δ(1) -AED, Δ(6) -AED, and Δ(15) -AD decreased (<50 %) after the ethanol intake, whereas after the administration of dutasteride, an important increase was observed for the concentrations of Δ(6) -AED, Δ(6) -T and Δ(15) -AD. Overall, the presented data describes the stability of the urinary cysteinyl steroids under the influence of many factors, proving their potential as suitable parameters to be included in the steroidal module of the athlete's biological passport.

Black market products confiscated in Norway 2011-2014 compared to analytical findings in urine samples.

Doping agents are widely and illicitly distributed through the Internet. Analysis of these preparations is useful in order to monitor the availability of prohibited substances on the market, and more importantly to predict which substances are expected to be found in urine samples collected from athletes and to aid clinical and forensic investigations. Based on a close collaboration with the Norwegian police and the Norwegian custom authorities, the Norwegian Doping Control Laboratory has performed analyses of confiscated material suspected of containing doping agents. The analyses were performed using gas chromatography (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) combined with mass spectrometry (MS). The majority (67%) of the analyzed black market products contained anabolic- androgenic steroids (AAS) as expected, whereas peptide- and protein-based doping substances were identified in 28% of the preparations. The Norwegian Doping Control Laboratory receives samples collected from recreational and elite athletes in addition to samples collected in clinical and forensic investigations. The findings in the seized material reflected the findings in the urine samples analyzed regarding the anabolic steroids. Thus, analyzing material seized in Norway may give a good indication of doping agents available on the local market.

Metabolism study of boldenone in human urine by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Boldenone (BOLD), an anabolic steroid, is likely to be abused in livestock breeding and in sports. Although some of BOLD metabolites in human urine, such as 5ß-adrost-1-en-17ß-ol-3-one (BM1), have been detected, investigations on their excretion patterns for both genders are insufficient. Moreover, little research on 17α-BOLD glucuronide as a metabolite in human urine has been reported. The aim of this study is to make a contribution to the knowledge of 17ß-BOLD metabolism in humans. Three male and three female volunteers were orally administrated with 30mg 17ß-BOLD. Urine samples were collected and analyzed with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The data proved that 17ß-BOLD, BM1, and 17α-BOLD were excreted in urine in both free and glucuronic conjugated forms after administration of 17ß-BOLD. For most subjects, the urinary concentrations of BM1 were higher than that of 17ß-BOLD. 17α-BOLD was excreted in small amounts. 17α-BOLD, 17ß-BOLD, and BM1 were present naturally in urine with low concentrations. Administration of 30mg 17ß-BOLD could not influence the excretion profiles of urinary androsterone, etiocholanolone, and testosterone/epitestosterone ratio. There were no differences in BOLD metabolic patterns between man and woman.

Analysis of glucuronide and sulfate steroids in urine by ultra-high-performance supercritical-fluid chromatography hyphenated tandem mass spectrometry.

Profiling conjugated urinary steroids to detect anabolic-steroid misuse is recognized as an efficient analytical strategy in both chemical-food-safety and anti-doping fields. The relevance and robustness of such profiling rely on the analysis of glucuronide and sulfate steroids, which is expected to have properties including accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, and, if possible, rapidity. In this context, the ability of ultra-high-performance supercritical-fluid chromatography (UHPSFC) hyphenated tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS) to provide reliable and accurate phase II analysis of steroids was assessed. Four stationary phases with sub-2 µm particles (BEH, BEH 2-ethyl-pyridine, HSS C18 SB, and CSH fluorophenyl) were screened for their capacity to separate several conjugated steroid isomers. Analytical conditions including stationary phase, modifier composition and percentage, back pressure, column temperature, and composition and flow rate of make-up solvent were investigated to improve the separation and/or the sensitivity. Thus, an analytical procedure enabling the analysis of eight glucuronide and 12 sulfate steroids by two different methods in 12 and 15 min, respectively, was optimized. The two procedures were evaluated, and UHPSFC-MS-MS analysis revealed its ability to provide sensitive (limits of quantification: 0.1 ng mL(-1) and 0.5 ng mL(-1) for sulfate and glucuronide steroids, respectively) and reliable quantitative performance (R(2) > 0.995, RSD < 20%, and bias < 30%) through the use of suitable labeled internal standards. Comparison with UHPLC-MS-MS was performed, and UHPSFC-MS-MS obtained better performance in terms of sensitivity. Finally, as a proof of concept, this so-called green technology was used in a chemical-food-safety context to profile steroid conjugates in urine samples from bovines treated with estradiol. Graphical Abstract Glucuronide and sulfate steroids analysis in urine by ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography hyphenated tandem mass spectrometry.