Metabolic studies of mesterolone in horses

Mesterolone (1α-methyl-5α-androstan-17β-ol-3-one) is a synthetic anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) with reported abuses in human sports. As for other AAS, mesterolone is also a potential doping agent in equine sports. Metabolic studies on mesterolone have been reported for humans, whereas little is known about its metabolic fate in horses. This paper describes the studies of both the in vitro and in vivo metabolism of mesterolone in racehorses with an objective to identify the most appropriate target metabolites for detecting mesterolone administration.In vitro biotransformation studies of mesterolone were performed by incubating the steroid with horse liver microsomes. Metabolites in the incubation mixture were isolated by liquid-liquid extraction and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after acylation or silylation. Five metabolites (M1-M5) were detected. They were 1α-methyl-5α-androstan-3α-ol-17-one (M1), 1α-methyl-5α-androstan-3β-ol-17-one (M2), 1α-methyl-5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol (M3), 1α-methyl-5α-androstane-3β,17β-diol (M4), and 1α-methyl-5α-androstane-3,17-dione (M5). Of these in vitro metabolites, M1, M3, M4 and M5 were confirmed using authentic reference standards. M2 was tentatively identified by mass spectral comparison to M1.For the in vivo metabolic studies, Proviron^® (20 tablets × 25 mg of mesterolone) was administered orally to two thoroughbred geldings. Pre- and post-administration urine samples were collected for analysis. Free and conjugated metabolites were isolated using solid-phase extraction and analysed by GC-MS as described for the in vitro studies. The results revealed that mesterolone was extensively metabolised and the parent drug was not detected in urine. Three metabolites detected in the in vitro studies, namely M1, M2 and M4, were also detected in post-administration urine samples. In addition, two stereoisomers each of 1α-methyl-5α-androstane-3,17α-diol (M6 and M7) and 1α-methyl-5α-androstane-3,16-diol-17-one (M8 and M9), and an 18-hydroxylated metabolite 1α-methyl-5α-androstane-3,18-diol-17-one (M10) were also detected. The metabolic pathway for mesterolone is postulated. These studies have shown that metabolites M8, M9 and M10 could be used as potential screening targets for controlling the misuse of mesterolone in horses.     

Metabolic studies of turinabol in horses

Turinabol (4-chloro-17alpha-methyl-17beta-hydroxy-1,4-androstadien-3-one) is a synthetic oral anabolic androgenic steroid. As in the case of other anabolic steroids, it is a prohibited substance in equine sports. The metabolism of turinabol in human has been reported previously; however, little is known about its metabolic fate in horses. This paper describes the studies of both the in vitro and in vivo metabolism of turinabol in racehorses with an objective to identify the most appropriate target metabolites for detecting turinabol administration. For the in vitro studies, turinabol was incubated with fresh horse liver microsomes. Metabolites in the incubation mixture were isolated by liquid-liquid extraction and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after trimethylsilylation. The results showed that the major biotransformation of turinabol was hydroxylation at the C6, C16 and C20 sites to give metabolites 6beta-hydroxyturinabol (M1), 20-hydroxyturinabol (M2), two stereoisomers of 6beta,16-dihydroxyturinabol (M3a, M3b) and 6beta,20-dihydroxyturinabol (M4). The metabolite 6beta-hydroxyturinabol was confirmed using an authentic reference standard. The structures of all other turinabol metabolites were tentatively identified by mass spectral interpretation. For the in vivo studies, two horses were administered orally with turinabol. Pre- and post-administration urine samples were collected for analysis. Free and conjugated metabolites were isolated using solid-phase extraction and analysed by GC-MS as described for the in vitro studies. The results revealed that turinabol was extensively metabolised and the parent drug was not detected in urine. Two metabolites detected in the in vitro studies, namely 20-hydroxyturinabol and 6beta,20-dihydroxyturinabol, these were also detected in post-administration urine samples. In addition, 17-epi-turinabol (M5) and six other metabolites (M6a-M6c and M7a-M7c), derived from D-ring hydroxylation and A-ring reduction, were also detected. Except for 17-epi-turinabol, none of these metabolites has ever been reported in any species. All in vivo metabolites were detected within 48 h after administration.     

Metabolic studies of methenolone acetate in horses

Methenolone acetate (17β-acetoxy-1-methyl-5α-androst-1-en-3-one), a synthetic anabolic steroid, is frequently abused in human sports. It is preferred for its therapeutic efficiency and lower hepatic toxicity compared with its 17α-alkylated analogs. As with other anabolic steroids, methenolone acetate may be used to enhance performance in racehorses. Metabolic studies on methenolone acetate have been reported for humans, whereas little is known about its metabolic fate in horses. This paper describes the investigation of in vitro and in vivo metabolism of methenolone acetate in racehorses.Studies on the in vitro biotransformation of methenolone acetate with horse liver microsomes were carried out. Methenolone (M1, 1-methyl-5α-androst-1-en-17β-ol-3-one) and seven other metabolites (M2-M8) were detected in vitro. They were 1-methyl-5α-androst-1-ene-3,17-dione (M2), 1-methyl-5α-androst-1-en-6-ol-3,17-dione (M3) and two stereoisomers of 1-methylen-5α-androstan-2-ol-3,17-dione (M4 and M5), 1-methyl-5α-androst-1-en-16-ol-3,17-dione (M6) and monohydroxylated 1-methyl-5α-androst-1-en-17-ol-3-one (M7 and M8). After oral administration of Primobolan^® (80 tablets × 5 mg of methenolone acetate each) to two thoroughbred geldings, the parent steroid ester was not detected in the post-administration urine samples. However, seven metabolites, namely M1, M6-M8, two stereoisomers of M7 (M9 and M10) and 1-methyl-5α-androst-1-en-17α-ol-3-one (M11), could be detected. The metabolic pathway for methenolone acetate is postulated. This study has shown that metabolite M1 could be targeted for controlling the abuse of methenolone acetate in horses.     

UPLC-MS/MS performing pharmacokinetic and biodistribution studies of rhein

Rhein, an important constituent of Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, has been used to alleviate liver and kidney damage. In this work, plasma pharmacokinetic and biodistribution characteristics of rhein after oral administration was investigated using a rapid and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem high-definition mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method. Mass spectrometry was performed on a Waters Micromass high-definition technology with an electrospray ionization source in positive ion mode. Biosamples were prepared using methanolic precipitation and the separation of rhein was achieved on a UPLC HSS T3 column by linear gradient elution and the total run time was only 4.70 min. Data were analyzed and estimated by compartmental methods using WinNonlin Professional version 5.1. Mean pharmacokinetic parameters following single-dose administration of rhein was consistent with a two-compartmental open model. It was found that rhein was distributed and eliminated rapidly in rats and the biodistribution showed the higher levels were in liver, spleen, kidney, heart, lung and the lower level observed in the muscle, adrenal, and thyroid. It was not discovered in brain and showed that rhein could not cross the blood-brain barrier. Our developed UPLC-MS/MS approach was capable of providing complete pharmacokinetic and biodistribution parameters for rhein when administered orally.     

The pharmacokinetic characteristics and excretion studies of fucosterol from Sargasssum fusiforme in rats

Fucosterol is the main phytosterol in brown algae with various pharmacological effects such as cholesterol-lowering, anticancer, hepatoprotection and neuroprotection. Little is known about the pharmacokinetics and excretion characteristics of fucosterol. In this study, a GC–MS method was developed and validated for the determination of fucosterol in rat plasma, urine and feces. The method effectively avoids the interference of Δ⁵-avenasterol, a cis–trans-isomer of fucosterol derived from feed, by using a TG-5 capillary column (a nonpolar column with 5% phenyl-methylpolysilicone as stationary phase material). The linearity ranges were fucosterol 0.300–18.0 μg/ml (R² = 0.9960) for plasma, 0.0500–2.50 μg/ml for the urine sample (R² = 0.9963) and 0.100–8.00 μg/mg (R² = 0.9923) for the feces sample. With good extraction recoveries and stability, this rapid and sensitive method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic and excretion studies of fucosterol in Sprague–Dawley rats. Fucosterol from Sargassum fusiforme had poor absorption and slow elimination with an absolute oral bioavailability of 0.74%, and was mainly eliminated through fecal excretion.     

GC‐FID determination and pharmacokinetic studies of oleanolic acid in human serum

Analytical interest of OA determination in human serum has increased owing to the increasing interest in pharmaceutical research by pharmaceutical properties. A simple, specific, precise and accurate GC method with flame ionization detector (FID) developed and validated for the determination of oleanolic acid (OA) in human serum (HS). To an aliquot of HS, internal standard was added and a combination of liquid–liquid extraction with a mixture of diethyl ether‐isopropyl alcohol, filtration and consecutive GC resulted in separation and quantification of OA. The organic phase was analyzed using a GC system equipped with a 30 × 0.25 mm i.d. Rtx‐65TG capillary column and FID detection. Total chromatographic time was 10 min and no interfering peaks from endogenous components in blank serum were observed. The OA/internal standard peak area ratio was linearly fitted to the OA concentration (r = 0.992) over the range 10–1500 ng/mL. The mean serum extraction recovery of OA was 96.7 ± 1.0% and the lower limit of quantification based on 5 mL of serum was 10.7 ng/mL. The intra‐day coefficient of variation ranged from 1.3 to 3.6% and inter‐day varied from 1.4 to 4.5%. The developed method was used to study the pharmacokinetics of OA after oral administration in humans. The assay was simple, sensitive, precise and accurate for the use in the study of the mechanisms of absorption and distribution of OA in humans. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of sulpiride and sultopride by high-performance liquid chromatography for pharmacokinetic studies

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method with UV detection (226 nm) for the analysis of sulpiride and sultopride in body fluids has been developed. Plasma, red blood cell (RBC) and urine samples were extracted by chloroform at pH 10. Internal standards were a new substituted benzamide (N-[(ethyl-1-pyrrolidinyl-2)methyl] methoxy-2-ethylsulphonyl-5-benzamide, DAN) for the sulpiride assay and sulpiride for the sultopride assay. The detection limit in plasma and RBC was 10 ng/ml for sulpiride and 15 ng/ml for sultopride. The proposed techniques were selective, reliable and sensitive enough to be used for pharmacokinetic studies and drug monitoring. Some plasma and RBC data from pharmacokinetic studies in healthy volunteers (sulpiride) or patients (sultopride) are presented. Half-lives determined from either plasma or RBC concentrations were similar (7 h for sulpiride and 5 h for sultopride).     

Determination of propionylpromazine hydrochloride in formulation matrixes using reversed-phase ion-pair small bore liquid chromatography

Propionylpromazine hydrochloride (PPZHCl) has been investigated for use with leghold traps to reduce the amount of self-inflicted trauma experienced by animals restrained by these traps. Three types of PPZHCl formulations made with Karo dark syrup, K-Y Jelly, and Vaseline were used in 2 types of tranquilizer trap devices (TTDs). A reversed-phase ion-pair liquid chromatography (LC) method using a small bore C18 column was used to: (1) determine the purity of the PPZHCl material used in these formulations, and (2) to determine the resulting PPZHCl content of each formulation. Analyte quantitation was done using UV absorption at 280 nm. Regression analysis of calibration standard solutions indicated a linear and directly proportional relationship between analyte response and PPZHCl concentration over the range evaluated. Recovery data from: (1) Vaseline formulations containing 38.8, 16.2, and 8.78% PPZHCl were 104, 92.9, and 90.2%, respectively, (2) Karo dark syrup formulations containing 26.5, 18.1, and 10.3% PPZHCl were 97.7, 99.3, and 106%, respectively, and (3) K-Y Jelly formulations containing 33.0, 23.5, and 13.4% PPZHCl were 100, 99.4, and 88.7%, respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) values from triplicate analysis of these formulations ranged from 0.7 to 6.7%. The PPZHCl content from 9 manufactured TTDs, 3 for each formulation type, were analyzed in triplicate and produced RSD values ranging from 0.7-6.8%. These results indicate that the formulation extraction presented could be used to evaluate the PPZHCl content in TTDs prior to field use. The use of a small bore LC column reduced the amount of solvents consumed and hazardous waste generated, compared to sample analysis that uses a more conventional analytical LC column.     

Extraction and chromatographic separation methods in pharmacokinetic studies of Stobadine--an indole-related antioxidant and free-radical scavenger

This overview provides comprehensive information on the most relevant results of Stobadine preclinical disposition studies. In order to investigate pharmacokinetic processes of the drug in rats, dogs and in human volunteers, several bioanalytical assays based on radiometric, spectrofluorometric, as well as chromatographic determination methods were developed and implemented. In small laboratory animals, the drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination were investigated by administering 3H-labeled Stobadine. Spectrofluorometry was used alternatively for the determination of cold/unlabeled Stobadine in extracts of biomaterials sampled from larger animal species. The chromatographic separation methods proved, however, to be the most advantageous for determining details of the drug disposition and fate in the body.     

Voltammetry of naltrexone in commercial formulation and human body fluids: Quantification and pharmacokinetic studies

Naltrexone HCl (NAL.HCl) has been reduced at the mercury electrode in Britton-Robinson universal buffer of pH values 2-11 with a mechanism involving the quasi-reversible uptake of the first transferring electron followed by a rate-determining protonation step of its C=O double bond at position C-6. Simple, sensitive, selective and reliable linear-sweep and square-wave adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry methods have been described for trace quantitation of NAL.HCl in bulk form, commercial formulation and human body fluids without the necessity for sample pretreatment and/or time-consuming extraction steps prior to the analysis. Limits of quantitation of 6.0×10(-9)M and 8.0×10(-10)M NAL.HCl in bulk form or commercial formulation and of 9.0×10(-9) and 1.0×10(-9)M NAL.HCl in spiked human serum samples were achieved by the described linear and square-wave stripping voltammetry methods, respectively. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic parameters of the drug in human plasma samples of healthy volunteers following the administration of an oral single dose of 50mg NAL.HCl (one Revia(?) tablet) were estimated by means of the described square-wave stripping voltammetry method without interferences from the drug's metabolites and/or endogenous human plasma constituents. The estimated pharmacokinetic parameters were favorably compared with those reported in literature.     

Comparative pharmacokinetic studies of Ephedra herba in common cold and nephrotic syndrome rat models

Ephedra herba is a conventional Chinese medicine to treat cold, fever, asthma, edema, and lung diseases in the clinic. At present, most pharmacokinetic studies focus on the pharmacokinetic process of alkaloids in normal animals. However, the non-alkaloid components are also active. In addition, the pharmacokinetic studies under pathological state make more sense for clarifying the material basis of efficacy. In this study, a sensitive and rapid ultra-high-performance–tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and applied to determine nine bioactive components (ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, methylephedrine, (+)-catechin, epicatechin, vitexin, vicenin-2, cinnamic acid, and ferulic acid) in normal, common cold and nephrotic syndrome rats after the oral administration of Ephedra herba. Compared to the normal group, except for ferulic acid, the exposure levels of the other eight components were significantly increased and the plasma clearance clearly declined in common cold rats. Similarly, the exposure levels of seven components other than cinnamic acid and ferulic acid were also significantly augmented and the plasma clearance decreased significantly in nephrotic syndrome rats. In brief, the pathological conditions of the common cold and nephrotic syndrome could lead to alterations in the pharmacokinetics profiles of the nine components, which provide a reference for further exploration of the pharmacodynamics basis of Ephedra herba.     

气相色谱法测定溴己新血药浓度及药代动力学研究

 建立了人血浆中溴己新的气相色谱 电子捕获测定法 ,对溴己新胶囊在健康人体内的药代动力学进行了研究。色谱柱为 5 %SE 30 (2m× 3mmi.d .)硅烷化玻璃柱。 5 氯 2 氨基二苯甲酮为内标 ,血浆样品加入磷酸盐缓冲液 (pH 6 0 )后用正己烷 二氯甲烷 (体积比为 9∶1)提取。线性范围为 1 0 μg/L～ 5 0 0 μg/L ,r =0 9994。人血浆中最小检测质量浓度为 0 5 μg/L。方法重现性好 ,日内、日间RSD分别小于 4 5 6 %和 7 11% ,平均回收率 97 5 %。 8名健康志愿者口服 8mg溴己新胶囊后 ,其体内代谢过程符合一房室模型。     

Capillary electrophoresis analysis of fosfomycin in biological fluids for clinical pharmacokinetic studies

A feasible capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method with indirect UV and contactless conductivity detection was developed for the determination of fosfomycin, an antibiotic, in human plasma and microdialysis samples. Samples were collected from test persons during a clinical trial. The background electrolytes used consisted of 25 mM benzoic acid and 0.5 mM hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, adjusted with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane solution to pH 6.95 for plasma, and to pH 8.05 for microdialysis samples. CZE separations of the anionic analyte were carried out with reversed electroosmotic flow directed towards the anode. The limit of detection was between 0.6 and 2 microg/mL, depending on the matrix and the detection method. No sample preparation was needed for microdialysis samples; for plasma samples, proteins were precipitated with methanol (1+2, v+v), and the supernatant was analyzed. The yield determined with spiked samples was about 100%, the reproducibility of the entire method, expressed by the RSD% of three independent determinations of fosfomycin in triplicate after spiking Ringer's solutions and plasma samples, respectively, was better than 8%. The method is thus well-suited for clinical studies for the determination of the antibiotic in biological fluids.     

HPLC determination of irbesartan in human plasma: its application to pharmacokinetic studies

A simple and rapid HPLC method using fluorescence detection was developed for determination of irbesartan in human plasma. Sample preparation was accomplished through a simple deproteinization procedure with 0.4 mL of acetonitrile containing 800 ng/mL of losartan (internal standard), and to a 0.1 mL plasma sample. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Zorbax Xclipse XDB C₁₈ column (150 × 4.6 mm, i.d., 5 µm) at 40°C. An isocratic mobile phase, acetonitrile:0.1% formic acid (37:63, v/v), was run at a flow‐rate of 1.0 mL/min, and the column eluent was monitored using a fluorescence detector set at excitation and emission wavelengths of 250 and 370 nm, respectively. The retention times of irbesartan and losartan were 4.4 and 5.9 min, respectively. This assay was linear over a concentration range of 10–5000 ng/mL with a lower limit of quantification of 10 ng/mL. The coefficient of variation for this assay precision was less than 8.48%, and the accuracy exceeded 94.4%. The mean relative recoveries of irbesartan and losartan were 98.4 and 99.1%, respectively. This method was successfully applied for pharmacokinetic study after oral administration of irbesartan (300 mg) to 23 Korean healthy male volunteers. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of glycyrrhizin in dog plasma by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and its application in pharmacokinetic studies

A sensitive liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) method was established and validated for the determination of glycyrrhizin in dog plasma. After treatment with methanol to precipitate proteins, plasma samples were analyzed on a reversed-phase C18 (ODS) column with a mobile phase of methanol:1% formic acid solution (75:25, v/v). MS determination was performed using negative electrospray ionization (negative ESI) in the selected ion monitoring mode. Glycyrrhizin was monitored at the m/z 821 channel and internal standard (gliquidone) at the m/z 526 channel. The calibration curve was linear over the range from 0.05 μg mL(-1) to 10 μg mL(-1) with a correlation coefficient above 0.99. This method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic studies in beagle dogs. The absolute bioavailability of glycyrrhizin in beagle dogs was 3.24%.     

Determination of forsythiaside in rat plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography and its application to pharmacokinetic studies

A simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed to study the pharmacokinetics of forsythiaside in rat plasma after intravenous administration. Hesperidin was used as the internal standard. The drugs were separated on a reversed-phase C(18) column and detected at 332 nm. Good linearity was achieved in the range of 0.067-26.667 microg/mL. The intra- and inter-assay variation coefficients for this analysis were no more than 10.94 and 14.56%, respectively. The average recovery for forsythiaside was 87.42% from plasma. The analytical sensitivity and accuracy of this assay were adequate for characterization of the pharmacokinetics of intravenous administration of forsythiaside to rats and the assay has been successfully applied to provide pharmacokinetic data. The mean t(1/2Z) was 20.36, 19.40 and 23.62 min for 2, 5 and 20 mg/kg for forsythiaside after i.v. administration, respectively. The AUC(0-t) increased linearly from 40.64 to 624.14 microg min/mL after administration of the three doses.