A simple method for the extraction of steroids from urine

A relatively simple and rapid multi-component method for analysis of steroid profiles in blood, fecal and liver samples

Various methods of steroid analysis were assessed using radiolabeled steroids and thin layer chromatography. Three reversed phase chromatography systems were evaluated for separation and recovery of steroids extracted from blood, liver tissue and feces. The use of different numbers of Sep-Pak C(18) cartridges for the purification of steroid extracts was examined and steroid recoveries were measured and compared. The results indicated that recoveries were best when 4-6 cartridges were used. Rapid and slow procedures of enzymatic hydrolysis and acidic solvolysis of steroid conjugates were compared. A new and relatively rapid method for analysis of steroid profiles in liver, blood and fecal samples was developed. Assessment of this method showed that steroid recoveries were improved compared to existing methods with percentage recoveries of 64.1-82.5 for liver samples, 55.2-75 for blood samples, and 65.1-76.3 for fecal samples.

Manual and automated enrichment procedures for biological samples using lipophilic gels

Aspects of the use of lipophilic gels in manual sample preparation procedures are reviewed. Neutral gels with a controlled hydrophobicity are used for sorbent extraction of non-polar and medium polarity compounds from biological fluids. Acidic amphiphilic compounds can be extracted as ion-pairs with decyltrimethylammonium ions. Solvent or detergent extracts of tissues or faeces can be mixed with hydrophobic gels for transfer of analytes from a solvent to a gel phase, permitting subsequent sample preparation in gel bed systems. Hydrophobic gels, alkyl-bonded silica and polystyrene matrices can be used in series for extraction of compounds with a wide range of polarities. Group fractionations are performed on neutral and ion-exchanging lipophilic gels to yield fractions of neutral, basic and acidic metabolites within selected polarity ranges. Selective isolation of phenolic acids on a strong anion exchanger, of ethynylic steroids on a strong cation exchanger in silver form and of oximes of ketonic steroids on a strong cation exchanger in hydrogen form is possible. A computerized system for automatic sample preparation is also described. It consists of an extraction bed, a cation-exchange column and an anion-exchange column. The pumps and switching valves are arranged so that the columns can operate in series or parallel for isolation of neutral, basic and acidic metabolites of amphiphilic compounds and for regeneration of the column beds. Fractions can be collected, or the effluent from the column beds can be diluted with water to permit sorption on a solid phase. The applicability of the automated method to the analysis of bile acids and metabolites of mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate is demonstrated.

Simultaneous assay for individual sulphated 3 alpha- and beta-hydroxysteroids in serum using high-performance liquid chromatography combined with 3 alpha- and beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases immobilized on one column

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of individual sulphated 3 alpha- and beta-hydroxysteroids in serum using 3 alpha- and beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (3 alpha-HSD and beta-HSD, respectively) immobilized on one column and a fluorimeter to detect the resulting NAD+ to NADH transformation is described. Individual sulphated 3 alpha- and beta-hydroxysteroids in serum are extracted with ethanol, solvolysed with sulphuric acid in ethyl acetate and then separated by high-performance liquid chromatography. The hydroxysteroids thus separated are subsequently mixed with NAD+ and then passed through the column in which the following catalytic reaction occurs: (formula, see text) The detection limits are as low as 0.5-1.0 microgram/dl for sulphated 3 alpha- or beta-hydroxysteroids in serum. The present assay method is highly specific, reliable and reproducible and is thus applicable to a clinical study on the metabolism of sulphated 3 alpha- and beta-hydroxysteroids in patients with adrenal or gonadal diseases.

Analysis of anabolic steroids in body fluids by capillary gas chromatography with a two-channel detection system and a computer

A method is described for analysis of multi-component mixtures of steroid metabolites in biological fluids by means of capillary gas chromatography with glass and fused-silica columns and simultaneous detection of methoxylamine-trimethylsilyl derivatives with universal flame-ionization and selective nitrogen alkali flameionization detectors. A data system was applied to the on-line treatment of the results. Computer programs were designed for precise calculation of Kováts retention indices from the known values for selected natural urinary steroids. The programs allow the selection of nitrogen-containing components, normalized chromatogram plotting for both detection channels and qualitative and quantitative analysis. Results are presented on the detection of metabolites of methandrostenolone, 17 alpha-methyltestosterone, 19-nortestosterone and fluoxymesterone.

A rapid method for the quantitative extraction of bile acids and their conjugates from serum using commercially available reverse-phase octadecylsilane bonded silica cartridges

Described is a rapid semi-automated technique for the quantitative extraction of bile acids and their conjugates from serum samples using commercially available reverse-phase octadecylsilane bonded silica cartridges. Serum is diluted with 4 volumes of 0.1 mol/l sodium hydroxide and the sample heated to 64 degrees C before application to the cartridge. Bile acids and their conjugates are adsorbed to the octadecylsilane bonded silica particles and reproducibly recovered by elution with a small volume of methanol. The technique is superior to extraction procedures using either Amberlite XAD resins or liquid-liquid partitioning, and gives a quantitative recovery of polar bile acid sulphates. The method is convenient and rapid and by using a specially designed apparatus it is possible to extract up to 60 samples/hour.

Automated qualitative and quantitative metabolic profiling analysis of urinary steroids by a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-data system

A computer system (MSSMET), using methylene unit retention indices for an off-line reverse library search analysis of selected ion chromatograms from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry data, has been applied to the qualitative and quantitative determination of urinary steroids. Several published methods for the isolation and derivatization of urinary steroids were evaluated for reproducibility using fused silica capillary column gas chromatography. Using a procedure that gave the greatest reproducibility, MSSMET analyses of urinary steroids were evaluated with packed (3-m 3% OV-101) and capillary (50-m OV-101 WCOT fused silica) columns. Most urinary steroids could be accurately quantitated using the packed column. However, urinary steroids with similar mass spectra and retention behavior on a packed column (i.e., androsterone and etiocholanolone, or 3 alpha, 11 beta, 17 alpha, 21-tetrahydroxy-5 beta-pregnane-20-one and 3 alpha, 11 beta, 17 alpha, 21-tetrahydroxy-5 alpha-pregnane-20-one) were completely separated using the capillary column and could be reproducibly quantitated with a 2-sec scan cycle time (10-15 data points across a peak) but not with a longer scan cycle time. Overloading was the major problem encountered with the fused silica capillary column.

Quantitative analysis of steroid profiles from urine by capillary gas chromatography. I. Accuracy and reproducibility of the sample preparation

A method is described for the determination of steroid profiles from urine by means of gas chromatography using high-efficiency glass capillary columns. The accuracy and reproducibility of essential steps in the sample preparation (extraction of steroids and steroid conjugates by means of XAD-2, enzymatic hydrolysis with Helix pomatia juice, solvolysis in acidified ethyl acetate and alkali wash) are established using different endogenously labelled urine samples, obtained from normal subjects to whom labelled steroids had been administered. Preliminary results are given on the reproducibility of the derivatization procedure (formation of methoxime-trimethylsilyl (MO-TMS) ethers), the gas chromatographic analysis and the whole method. Two procedures for the purification of MO-TMS steroid derivatives are compared. Application of the method to urine samples of patients with various endocrine disorders is included.

A semiautomated method for the determination of 11-deoxy-17-oxo-steroids in urine

A semiautomated method is described for the determination of total 11-deoxy-17-oxo-steroids (11-DOOS: androsterone, etiocholanolone plus dehydroepiandrosterone) in urine. Urinary conjugates are manually extracted on a XAD-2 resin, hydrolysed by beta-glucuronidase and "solvolysed" in acid ethyl-acetate according to Burnstein-Lieberman. The free 11-DOOS are extracted automatically with iso-octane and estimated colorimetrically by the Zimmerman reaction in an Auto-Analyzer II system. The method was evaluated by investigation of its precision, accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. It was found to be satisfactory for the rapid and reliable screening of large numbers of urine samples.

Simultaneous estimation of urinary steroids by semi-automated gas chromatography. Investigation of neo-natal infants and children with abnormal steroid synthesis

Development of a method for multicomponent analysis of urinary steroids on open-tubular columns is described. The urinary steroid conjugates were hydrolysed enzymatically, extracted on Amberlite XAD-2 columns, purified on columns of Sephadex LH-20, then analysed as methyloxime trimethylsilyl ethers on a gas chromatograph on which up to 24 samples may be automatically injected. All major urinary steroids from 17-oxosteroids to cortisol metabolites were analysed and these were quantified relative to internal standards, 5alpha-androstane-3alpha, 17alpha-diol and cholesteryl butyrate added to the samples prior to derivatisation. The precision of the full technique and reproducibility of repetitive automatic solid injection was found to be acceptable for the purpose of profile analysis. Examples of urinary steroid profiles in normal infants and infants with disorders of adrenal steroid production and excretion are given.

Identification of bile acids in the serum and urine in cholestasis. Evidence for 6alpha-hydroxylation of bile acids in man

In this qualitative study of the pattern of bile acid excretion in cholestasis, methods are described for the isolation of bile acids from large volumes of urine and plasma. The bile acids were subjected to a group separation and identified by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The techniques were developed to allow identification of the minor components of the bile acid mixture. Four bile acids that have not previously been described in human urine and plasma were detected, namely 3beta, 7alpha-dihydroxy-5beta-cholan-24-oic acid, 3alpha, 6alpha-dihydroxy-5beta-cholan-24-oic acid (hyodeoxycholic acid), 3alpha, 6alpha, 7alpha-trihydroxy-5beta-cholan-24-oic acid (hyocholic acid) and 3alpha, 7beta, 12alpha-trihydroxy-5beta-cholan-24-oic acid. In addition three C27 steroids were found; 26-hydroxycholesterol and a trihydroxy cholestane, probably 5 beta-cholestane-3alpha, 7alpha, 26-triol were found in the sulphate fraction of plasma and urine. In the plasma sample, a sulphate conjugate of 24-hydroxycholesterol was found. The presence of these compounds probably reflects the existence of further pathways for bile acid metabolism. It is not yet known whether this is a consequence of the cholestasis or whether they are also present in normal man, at much lower concentrations.