Doping control analysis of insulin and its analogues in equine urine by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Insulin and its analogues have been banned in both human and equine sports owing to their potential for misuse. Insulin administration can increase muscle glycogen by utilising hyperinsulinaemic clamps prior to sports events or during the recovery phases, and increase muscle size by its chalonic action to inhibit protein breakdown. In order to control insulin abuse in equine sports, a method to effectively detect the use of insulins in horses is required. Besides the readily available human insulin and its synthetic analogues, structurally similar insulins from other species can also be used as doping agents. The author's laboratory has previously reported a method for the detection of bovine, porcine and human insulins, as well as the synthetic analogues Humalog (Lispro) and Novolog (Aspart) in equine plasma. This study describes a complementary method for the simultaneous detection of five exogenous insulins and their possible metabolites in equine urine. Insulins and their possible metabolites were isolated from equine urine by immunoaffinity purification, and analysed by nano liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Insulin and its analogues were detected and confirmed by comparing their retention times and major product ions. All five insulins (human insulin, Humalog, Novolog, bovine insulin and porcine insulin), which are exogenous in horse, could be detected and confirmed at 0.05ng/mL. This method was successfully applied to confirm the presence of human insulin in urine collected from horses up to 4h after having been administered a single low dose of recombinant human insulin (Humulin R, Eli Lilly). To our knowledge, this is the first identification of exogenous insulin in post-administration horse urine samples.     

Simultaneous determination and validated quantification of human insulin and its synthetic analogues in human blood serum by immunoaffinity purification and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

Possible fatal complications of human insulin and its synthetic analogues like hypoglycemia require precise classification and quantitative determination of these drugs both for clinical purposes as well as for forensic toxicologists. A procedure was developed for the identification and quantification of human insulin and different long-acting as well as short-acting synthetic insulins in human blood serum specimens. After an immunoaffinity purification step and separation by liquid chromatography, the insulins were characterized by their five- or sixfold protonated molecule ions and diagnostic product ions. Clinical samples of 207 diabetic and 50 non-diabetic patients after the administration of human insulin or oral antidiabetics and forensic samples were analyzed for human/synthetic insulin concentrations. The method was validated according to international guidelines. Limits of detection of the insulins ranged between 1.3 and 2.8?μU/ml. Recoveries ranged between 33.2?% and 51.7?%. Precision data was in accordance with international guidelines. Clinical samples showed concentrations of human insulin lower than 301?μU/ml. Our liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry procedure allows unambiguous identification and quantification of the intact human insulin and its intact synthetic analogues Humalog?, Novolog?, Apidra?, Lantus?, and Levemir? in human blood serum in clinical and overdose cases. The assay could be successfully tested in patients with diabetes mellitus on therapy with insulins or oral antidiabetics.     

Insulins in equine urine: qualitative analysis by immunoaffinity purification and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry for doping control purposes in horse-racing

Insulin is a peptide hormone consisting of two peptide chains (A- and B-chain) that are cross-linked by two disulfide bonds. To obtain improved pharmacokinetic onset of action profiles of insulin treatment in diabetic patients, recombinant long-, intermediate-, and rapid-acting insulin analogs are produced, in which the C-terminal end of the B-chain plays an especially important role.A review of the veterinary literature reveals the low prevalence of equine type I diabetes mellitus, which indicates that the therapeutic use of insulin in racing horses is unlikely. Although there is no unequivocal evidence of an overall performance-enhancing effect of insulin, in human sports the misuse of insulin preparations is reported among elite athletes. The desired effects of insulin include the increase of muscular glycogen prior to sports event or during the recovery phase, in addition to a chalonic action, which increases the muscle size by inhibiting protein breakdown.In the present study urinary insulin was detected in equine samples and differences between equine insulin, human insulin, as well as rapidly acting recombinant insulin variants were examined. The method was based on sample purification by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and immunoaffinity chromatography (IAC), and subsequent analysis by microbore liquid chromatography (LC) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) using top-down sequencing for the determination of various insulins. Product ion scan experiments of intact proteins and B-chains enabled the differentiation between endogenously produced equine insulin, its DesB30 metabolite, human insulin and recombinant insulin analogs, and the assay allowed the assignment of individual product ions, especially those originating from modified C-termini of B-chains.     

A biologically active insulin analogue with modification in the A2 position. [2-Valine-A] sheep insulin

The synthesis and biological evaluation of [2-Valine-A] insulin ([Val2-A]insulin) is reported. In this insulin, the isoleucine residue in position A2, invariant in the majority of mammalian insulins, is substituted by valine. The same substitution, along with four others, occurs naturally in the insulin produced by the owl monkey. Owl monkey insulin exhibits ca. 20% of the activity of porcine insulin in in vitro insulin assays using human cells in culture. [Val2-A]insulin displays 20-22% of the activity of bovine insulin in in vitro insulin assays using rat liver plasma membranes or isolated rat adipocytes. We suggest that the substitution of valine for isoleucine at position A2 is responsible for all or most of the diminution in potency of owl monkey insulin relative to porcine insulin. The data are discussed with regard to previous findings with insulin analogues in which isoleucine A2 was replaced with norleucine, glycine and alanine.     

Doping control analysis of recombinant human erythropoietin, darbepoetin alfa and methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta in equine plasma by nano-liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO), darbepoetin alfa (DPO) and methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta (PEG-EPO) are synthetic analogues of the endogenous hormone erythropoietin (EPO). These erythropoiesis-stimulating agents have the ability to stimulate the production of red blood cells and are commercially available for the treatment of anaemia in humans. These drugs are understood to have performance-enhancing effects on human athletes due to their stimulation of red blood cell production, thereby improving delivery of oxygen to the muscle tissues. Although their effect on horses has not been proven, these substances were thought to be similarly performance enhancing and have indeed been applied covertly to horses. As such, these protein-based drugs are prohibited by authorities in both human and equine sports. The method officially adopted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) for the confirmation of rhEPO and/or DPO (rhEPO/DPO) in human urine is based on electrophoresis in combination with Western blotting. A shortcoming of the WADA method is the lack of definitive mass spectral data for the confirmation of a positive finding. Recently, a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method for the detection and confirmation of rhEPO/DPO in equine plasma was reported. However, we have not been successful in achieving the reported sensitivity. This paper presents a method for the detection and confirmation of rhEPO/DPO, as well as the newly released PEG-EPO, in equine plasma. The procedures involve immunoaffinity extraction using anti-rhEPO antibody-coated Dynabeads followed by trypsin digestion. The injected extract was further purified and concentrated using an on-line trap column in the nano-LC system. Detection and confirmation were achieved by monitoring a unique peptide segment of rhEPO/DPO/PEG-EPO using nano-liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry equipped with a nanospray ionisation source operated in the selected reaction monitoring mode. rhEPO, DPO and PEG-EPO can be confirmed at 0.1, 0.2 and 1.0 ng/mL, respectively, in equine plasma.     

Quantitation of γ‐aminobutyric acid in equine plasma by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

γ‐ Aminobutyric acid is the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system and regulates the neuronal excitability. There has been anecdotal evidence that γ‐ aminobutyric acid has been used within a few hours prior to competition in equine sports to calm down nervous horses. However, regulating the use of γ‐ aminobutyric acid is challenging because it is an endogenous substance in the horse. γ‐Aminobutyric acid is usually present at low ng/mL levels in equine plasma; therefore, a sensitive method has to be developed to quantify these low background levels. Measuring low concentrations of endogenous γ‐ aminobutyric acid is essential to establish a threshold that can be used to differentiate levels attributable to exogenous administrations of γ‐ aminobutyric acid. A hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the quantitation of γ‐ aminobutyric acid in equine plasma. Calibrators were prepared in artificial surrogate matrix consisting of 35 mg/mL equine serum albumin in phosphate buffered saline. Samples were prepared by protein precipitation with acetonitrile. Utilizing this methodology, a total of 403 equine plasma samples collected post‐competition from horses participating in equestrian events in Canada were analyzed.     

UPLC-MS/MS Method for the Identification of Recombinant Human Erythropoietin Analogues in Horse Plasma and Urine

Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) analogues are known to have been used in horse sports for their assumed performance enhancing properties. Recently, several authors have published liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) methods for confirming the presence of rhEPO analogues in horse plasma. In the current study, an improved LC-MS/MS confirmatory procedure for rhEPO, darbepoetin (DPO) and continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA) in horse plasma was developed and validated. The method was also adapted for and applied to urine samples for the first time. Similar to previously published plasma assays, the methods utilise size exclusion and immunoaffinity extraction prior to tryptic cleavage, enzymatic deglycosylation and LC-MS/MS analysis of the resulting signature tryptic peptides (rhEPO/CERA T5, rhEPO/CERA/DPO T6 and DPO T9). However, the novel application of UPLC chromatography significantly improves the run time of the method compared to nano- or micro-LC and its robustness compared to nano-LC. Furthermore, recombinant canine EPO was found to serve as an effective internal standard, thus allowing confidence in interpretation of the success/failure of every step in the procedure. Limits of detection for confirming the presence of rhEPO, CERA and DPO in plasma were 0.1, 0.25 and 0.05 ng mL^?1, respectively, which were equal to or lower than limits achieved using previously published LC-MS/MS based methods. Limits of detection for confirming the presence of rhEPO, CERA and DPO in urine were 0.05, 0.15 and 0.025 ng mL^?1 and the analysis of urine samples collected from horses administered rhEPO (Eprex?) or DPO (Aranesp?) demonstrated the use of this matrix as a suitable alternative in situations where plasma is not available.     

Separation of human,bovine, and porcine insulins,three very closely related proteins,by micellar electrokinetic chromatography

Human, bovine, and porcine insulins are small proteins with very closely related amino acid sequences, which makes their separation challenging. In this study, we took advantage of the high‐resolution power of CE, and more particularly of micellar electrokinetic chromatography, to separate those biomolecules. Among several surfactants, perfluorooctanoic acid ammonium salt was selected. Then, using a design of experiments approach, the optimal BGE composition was found to consist of 50 mM ammonium acetate pH 9.0, 65 mM perfluorooctanoic acid ammonium salt, and 4% MeOH. The three insulins could be separated within 12 min with a satisfactory resolution. This method could be useful to detect possible counterfeit pharmaceutical formulations. Indeed, it would be easy to determine if human insulin was replaced by bovine or porcine insulin.     

Quantification of 19-nortestosterone sulphate and boldenone sulphate in urine from male horses using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

Following administration of the anabolic steroid 19-nortestosterone or its esters to the horse, a major urinary metabolite is 19-nortestosterone-17beta-sulphate. The detection of 19-nortestosterone in urine from untreated animals has led to it being considered a naturally occurring steroid in the male horse. Recently, we have demonstrated that the majority of the 19-nortestosterone found in extracts of 'normal' urine from male horses arises as an artefact through decarboxylation of the 19-carboxylic acid of testosterone. The aim of this investigation was to establish if direct analysis of 19-nortestosterone-17beta-sulphate by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) had potential for the detection of 19-nortestosterone misuse in the male horse. The high concentrations of sulphate conjugates of the female sex hormones naturally present in male equine urine were overcome by selective hydrolysis of the aryl sulphates using glucuronidase from Helix pomatia; this was shown to have little or no activity for alkyl sulphates such as 19-nortestosterone-17beta-sulphate. The 'free' phenolic steroids were removed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) prior to LC/MS/MS analysis. The method also allowed for the quantification of the sulphate conjugate of boldenone, a further anabolic steroid endogenous in the male equine with potential for abuse in sports. The method was applied to the quantification of these analytes in a population of samples. This paper reports the results of that study along with the development and validation of the LC/MS/MS method. The results indicate that while 19-nortestosterone-17beta-sulphate is present at low levels as an endogenous substance in urine from 'normal' male horses, its use as an effective threshold substance may be viable. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Detection of recombinant human EPO administered to horses using MAIIA lateral flow isoform test

Doping of horses with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) to illegally enhance their endurance capacity in horseracing has been reported during the last years. This leads to increased blood viscosity which can result in sudden death and is of concern for the horse welfare. Additionally, the horse can start production of rHuEPO antibodies, which cross-reacts with endogenous equine EPO and can lead to severe anaemia and even death. In this study, a novel micro-chromatographic method, EPO WGA MAIIA, has been tested for the capability in plasma and urine samples to detect administration of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, like the rHuEPO glycoprotein varieties Eprex and Aranesp, to horses. After administration of 40 IU Eprex kg(-1) day(-1) to seven horses during 6 days, the presence of Eprex in horse plasma was detected up to 2-5 days after last injection. In urine samples collected from two horses, Eprex was detected up to 3 days. A single injection of Aranesp (0.39 μg/kg) was detected up to 9 days in plasma and up to 8 days, the last day of testing, in the urine sample. The LC-FAIMS-MS/MS system, with 1 day reporting time, confirmed the presence of Eprex up to 1 day after last injection for six out of seven horses and the presence of Aranesp up to 5 days after last injection in plasma samples. The MAIIA system showed to be a promising tool with high sensitivity and extremely short reporting time (1 h).     

Analysis of insulin preparations by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic system is described for the rapid and complete separation of bovine and porcine insulin from their readily formed monodesamido derivatives under isocratic conditions in the presence of the ion-pairing agent cetrimide. The system is suitable for the direct analysis of formulations of insulins of mixed bovine and porcine origin, and gives satisfactory results with a number of readily available commercial packings. Human insulin is not resolved from porcine in this system, but an alternative system allows the complete separation of all three insulins and their monodesamido derivatives, although acceptable peak shapes were obtained only on a limited number of packings.     

Influence of operating parameters on the preparative gradient elution chromatography of insulins.

The mass-overloaded separation of bovine and porcine insulins has been studied in the reversed-phase gradient elution mode. Strong solute-solute displacement effects have been found, which are related to the efficiency of the column used. Low flow-rates and small particle diameters maximise the displacements, as well as improve the resolution between the parent insulin and its desamido contaminant. The gradient slope did not substantially affect the separation between the parent insulins, but, due to the relative "S" values of the solutes, an increase in gradient slope improved the separation of the parent insulin from its desamido compound. An optimum pore size of 150 A was found for the insulins. Experiments to optimise the loadability were not carried out, but a recovery of 90% at a purity of 99.5% was obtained with a loading of 12 mg/g of porcine insulin.     

Detection of peginesatide in equine serum using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for doping control purposes

Erythropoietin (EPO) and its recombinant analogues are suspected to be illicitly administered to horses for performance enhancing purposes and, consequently, prohibited in equine sports. Recently, a new erythropoiesis-stimulating agent, peginesatide (Omontys, formerly referred to as Hematide), belonging to the upcoming class of EPO-mimetic peptides, received approval for the treatment of anaemia in humans with chronic kidney disease on dialysis. As the pegylated dimeric peptide of approximately 45 kDa without sequence homology to EPO is not detectable by conventional EPO detection assays, specific methods are bound to be established for horse sports drug testing. Thus, by fortifying equine serum with peginesatide, an approach consisting of a proteolytic digestion with subtilisin after protein precipitation was developed, eventually targeting a proteotypic and xenobiotic pentapeptide which is easily accessible to liquid chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry analysis. The method was validated for qualitative purposes and demonstrated to be specific, precise (relative standard deviations below 14%), sensitive (limit of detection 10 ng mL(-1)) and linear. Being simple, cost-effective and readily transferable to other doping control laboratories, a mass spectrometric assay for the detection of therapeutic concentrations of peginesatide in equine serum is, in terms of preventive doping research, applicable to routine analysis shortly after approval of the drug.     

Separation and quantitation of insulins and related substances in bulk insulin crystals and in injectables by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography and the effect of temperature on the separation

The Food and Drug Administration performs potency assays of insulin products as part of the insulin certification program required by the Code of Federal Regulations. The official method specified in the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is a bioassay measuring the depression of blood sugar concentrations in rabbits treated with the insulin under test and the official standard. The insulin products resulting from today's technology include highly purified isolates from bovine or porcine pancreas and insulin that is identical in structure to human insulin. A study of the effects of temperature on the separation of the components in insulin injectables led to the development of a reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method that uses a sulfate buffer/acetonitrile mobile phase at 40 degrees C for the separation and quantitation of bovine, porcine, and human insulins and related substances. This HPLC method reduces analysis time to 1/60 of that required for the bioassay and yields more information about purity than the percent nitrogen determination that is one of the USP official procedures. The results of HPLC analyses were compared with those for the bioassay by means of a potency/area conversion factor computed on a species by species basis. Results for the bioassays and the HPLC determinations for 40 lots of bulk crystalline insulin were compared in this study; in general, the HPLC estimates fell within the 95% confidence interval for combined independent bioassays.     

Chromatographic–mass spectrometric analysis of peptidic analytes (2–10 kDa) in doping control urine samples

Peptides with a molecular mass between 2 and 10 kDa that are prohibited in elite sports usually require dedicated sample preparation and mass spectrometric detection that commonly cannot be combined with other (lower molecular mass) substances. In most instances, the physicochemical differences are too significant to allow for a generic analytical procedure. A simplification of established and comparably complex analytical approaches is therefore desirable and has been accomplished in the context of this study. With urine samples representing still the most frequently collected doping control specimens, efficient extraction of peptidic analytes from this matrix was a major goal of this method, as demonstrated for the included compounds such as insulins (human, lispro, aspart, glulisine, tresiba, glargine metabolite, bovine insulin, porcine insulin), growth hormone-releasing hormones (sermorelin, CJC-1295, tesamorelin) incl. their respective metabolites, insulin-like-growth factors (long-R₃-IGF-I, R₃-IGF-I, des_1–3-IGF-I), synacthen, gonadorelin and mechano growth factors (human MGF, MGF-Goldspink). Sample preparation and detection are controlled by five internal standards, covering all five included peptide drug categories. Nearly all requirements of the recent technical documents from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) considering their minimum required performance levels (MRPL) are fulfilled, and the method was validated for its utilisation as initial testing procedure in doping controls. Finally, the approach was applied to authentic post-administration study urine samples (for insulins and gonadorelin) in order to provide proof of principle.     

Sensitive liquid chromatographic/tandem mass spectrometric method for the determination of beclomethasone dipropionate and its metabolites in equine plasma and urine

Beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) is a potent pro-drug to beclomethasone (BOH) and is used in the treatment of chronic and acute respiratory disorders in the horse. The therapeutic dose of BDP (325 microg per horse) by inhalation results in very low plasma and urinary concentrations of BDP and its metabolites that pose a challenge to detection and confirmation by equine forensic laboratories. To solve this problem, a method involving the use of a liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) was developed for the detection, confirmation and quantification of the analytes in equine samples. Ammonium formate or acetate buffer added to LC mobile phase favored the formation of [M + H](+) ions from BDP and its metabolites, whereas formic acid led to the formation of sodium and potassium adduct ions ([M + Na](+), [M + K](+)) together with [M + H](+) ions. Acetonitrile, on the other hand, favored the formation of abundant solvent adduct ions [M + H + CH(3)CN](+) with the analytes under electrospray ionization (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization conditions. In contrast, methanol formed much less solvent adduct ions than acetonitrile. The solvent adduct ions were thermally stable and could not be completely desolvated under the experimental conditions, but they were very fragile to collision-induced dissociation (CID). Interestingly, these solvent adduct ions were observed on a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry but not on an ion trap instrument where helium used as a damping gas in the ion trap might cause the solvent adduct ions desolvated by collision. By CID studies on the [M + H](+) ions of BDP and its metabolites, their fragmentation paths were proposed. In equine plasma at ambient temperature over 2 h, BDP and B21P were hydrolyzed in part to B17P and BOH, respectively, but B17P was not hydrolyzed. Sodium fluoride added to equine plasma inhibited the hydrolysis of BDP and B21P. The matrix effect in ESI was evaluated in equine plasma and urine samples. The method involved the extraction of BDP and its metabolites from equine plasma and urine samples by methyl tert-butyl ether, resolution on a C(8) column with a mobile phase gradient consisting of methanol and ammonium formate (2 mmol l(-1), pH 3.4) and multiple reaction monitoring for the analytes on a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. The detection limit was 13 pg ml(-1) for BDP and B17P, 25 pg ml(-1) for BOH and 50 pg ml(-1) for B21P in plasma and 25 pg ml(-1) for BOH in urine. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of equine plasma and urine samples for the analytes following administration of BDP to horses by inhalation. B17P, the major and active metabolite of BDP, was detected and quantified in equine plasma up to 4 h post-administration by inhalation of a very low therapeutic dose (325 microg per horse) of BDP.     

Selection of internal standards for quantitative analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry

The selection of an appropriate internal standard (IS) for quantification by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry is critical for the successful application of quantitative MALDI. Selection of the IS depends on the chemical similarity of the analyte and IS and the mass separation of the analyte and IS as a function of instrumental peak resolution. For the quantification of bovine insulin, a series of internal standards including horse heart cytochrome C, bovine insulin chain B, des-pentapeptide human insulin, and des-octapeptide porcine insulin was investigated. Des-pentapeptide human insulin was found to be the most appropriate internal standard (relative standard deviation of the standard curve slope = 2.99%, correlation coefficient = 0.988 in the range of 0.5-0.4 μmol/L). Two methods for measuring of the MALDI signal intensity were evaluated, direct peak integration following subtraction of a linear background and non-linear least squares curve fitting. The results obtained with these methods were equivalent.     

Improved formulation of W/O/W multiple emulsion for insulin encapsulation. Influence of the chemical structure of insulin

W/O/W multiple emulsions are systems of potential interest in the oral administration of insulin. Although it has been shown that a single oral administration of insulin-loaded W/O/W multiple emulsion to diabetic rats led to the significant decrease of blood glucose levels (Silva Cunha et al., 1998, Int J Pharm 169:33), repeated administrations displayed unpleasant side effects such as diarrhoea and steatosis. These unwanted effects were attributed to the high oil concentration used for their preparation. In the present study, attention was focused on the reduction of oil concentration in the formulation of these systems and on the encapsulation of two different insulins. The physical properties and stability of the multiple emulsions over long periods of time were assessed by conductivity measurements, and granulometric and microscopic analyses. The encapsulation in the inner aqueous phase of two insulins, Umulin and Humalog, differing only by the transposition of one amino acid, had non-negligible effects on the formation and stability of W/O/W multiple emulsions. Both insulins were shown to improve the formation of the multiple emulsions. Circular dichroism studies and surface tension measurements evidenced the contribution of insulin conformation and surface properties in multiple emulsion formation and stability.     

Selection of internal standards for quantitative analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry

 The selection of an appropriate internal standard (IS) for quantification by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry is critical for the successful application of quantitative MALDI. Selection of the IS depends on the chemical similarity of the analyte and IS and the mass separation of the analyte and IS as a function of instrumental peak resolution. For the quantification of bovine insulin, a series of internal standards including horse heart cytochrome C, bovine insulin chain B, des-pentapeptide human insulin, and des-octapeptide porcine insulin was investigated. Des-pentapeptide human insulin was found to be the most appropriate internal standard (relative standard deviation of the standard curve slope=2.99%, correlation coefficient=0.988 in the range of 0.5–0.4 μmol/L). Two methods for measuring of the MALDI signal intensity were evaluated, direct peak integration following subtraction of a linear background and non-linear least squares curve fitting. The results obtained with these methods were equivalent. Received: 10 November 1995 / Revised: 4 March 1996 / Accepted: 6 March 1996     

Cross reactivity between human erythropoietin antibody and horse erythropoietin

Erythropoietin (EPO) is the primary hormone of erythropoiesis. Administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhuEPO) to improve racing performance in the horse represents a new form of blood doping, which has been associated with increased mortality. While immunoassay kits have become plentiful, very few commercial hormone assays are made specifically for equine research. There is a strong degree of sequence homology reported for EPO among species, which has allowed antibodies designed for human EPO research to be used to determine EPO concentration in other species. The objective of the present study was to use Western blot analysis to determine whether the antibody to rhuEPO, provided in a commercial radioimmunoassay (RIA) kit, recognizes horse EPO. Western blot analysis of purified rhuEPO and horse plasma was conducted, using the polyclonal goat-antihuman EPO antibody supplied in the Incstar EPO Trac RIA as the primary antibody. Immunoblot analysis revealed a major band at approximately 52 kDa for both rhuEPO and the horse plasma. Our results demonstrate that a human EPO antibody recognizes equine EPO. These findings show that the Incstar EPO Trac RIA hormone assay system can be used to measure equine EPO.