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

Comprehensive analysis of prohibited substances and methods in sports: Unveiling trends, pharmacokinetics, and WADA evolution

This review systematically compiles sports-related drugs, substances, and methodologies based on the most frequently detected findings from prohibited lists published annually by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) between 2003 and 2021. Aligned with structure of the 2023 prohibited list, it covers all proscribed items and details the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of five representatives from each section. Notably, it explores significant metabolites and metabolic pathways associated with these substances. Adverse analytical findings are summarized in tables for clarity, and the prevalence is visually represented through charts. The review includes a concise historical overview of doping and WADA's role, examining modifications in the prohibited list for an understanding of evolving anti-doping measures.

Endogenous nature of estra-4,9-diene-3,17-dione in entire male horses

Estra-4,9-diene-3,17-dione (dienedione) is an anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) sold as a bodybuilding supplement. It is prohibited in both human and equine sports. With no report of 4,9-diene configuration in endogenous steroids, dienedione has long been considered a synthetic AAS. Nevertheless, the reoccurring detection of dienedione in colt (entire male horse) urine samples lead to the investigation of its possible endogenous nature in horses. This paper describes (i) the detection of naturally occurring dienedione in colts, (ii) the conjugation study of dienedione and (iii) the population study of free and glucuronide-conjugated dienedione in colt urine. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of dienedione content in colt urine were performed, employing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Qualitative analyses showed that dienedione was endogenous in colt urine and mainly in the form of glucuronide conjugates. Glucuronidation of dienedione was believed to happen at 3-enol leading to dienedione-3-glucuronide. Upon the population study of free and glucuronide-conjugated dienedione in colt urine samples (n = 175), the mean ± SD was determined to be 2.5 ± 3.5 ng/ml. The population data fitted a normal distribution after a fifth root transformation with the exclusion of one outlier by Grubb's test. A possible in-house threshold was proposed at 30 ng/ml of free and glucuronide-conjugated dienedione in colt urine associated with a risk factor of 1 in 14,269 (with a degree of freedom of 173). This is the first report of endogenous dienedione in entire male horses and the approach for controlling its potential misuse by using a threshold is also presented.

In a Case of Death Involving Steroids, Hair Testing is More Informative than Blood or Urine Testing

A 59-year-old male was found dead at home, with two empty vials of an oily preparation obtained from a manufacturer from East Europe. There was no label on the vial. The subject was a former weightlifter, also known as an anabolic steroids abuser. The local prosecutor ordered a body examination, which was unremarkable, and allowed collecting femoral blood, urine and scalp hair (6 cm, brown). He was treated for cardiac insufficiency with quinidine. Biological specimens were submitted not only to standard toxicological analyses including a screening with liquid chromatography (LC)-quadrupole time of flight, but also to a specific LC-tandem mass spectrometry method for anabolic steroids testing. Ethanol was not found in both blood and urine. Quinidine blood concentration (791 ng/mL) was therapeutic. No drug of abuse was identified. In blood, testosterone was less that 1 ng/mL and no other steroid was identified. In urine, testosterone/epitestosterone was 1.56 and boldenone was present at a concentration of 9 ng/mL. The hair test results, performed on the whole length, demonstrated repetitive steroids abuse, including not only testosterone (140 pg/mg), testosterone propionate (605 pg/mg) and testosterone decanoate (249 pg/mg), but also boldenone (160 pg/mg), trenbolone (143 pg/mg) and metandienone (60 pg/mg). Since forensic laboratories have limited access to steroid urinary metabolite reference material due to specific regulations (to avoid testing athletes before anti-doping verifications), hair analyses seem to be the best approach to document anabolic agents abuse. Indeed, in hair, the target drug is the parent compound; in addition, when compared to blood or urine, this matrix has a much larger window of detection. The pathologist concluded cardiac insufficiency in a context involving repetitive abuse of anabolic drugs. This case indicates that more attention should be paid to anabolic steroids, in a context of sudden cardiac death.

Boldenone Undecylenate-Mediated Hepatorenal Impairment by Oxidative Damage and Dysregulation of Heat Shock Protein 90 and Androgen Receptors Expressions: Vitamin C Preventive Role

Boldenone Undecylenate (BLD) is a synthetic derivative of testosterone and a widely used anabolic androgenic steroid. The health risk of BLD use as a pharmaceutical or dietary supplement is still underestimated and under-reported. Vitamin C (VC) has been recognized as an antioxidant with prominent hepatorenal protective effects. This study investigated the possible preventive activity of VC against BLD-induced hepatorenal damage. Forty adult male Wistar rats were classified into five groups: control, vehicle control, VC (orally given 120 mg/kg b. wt./day), BLD (intramuscularly injected 5 mg/kg b. wt./week), and BLD + VC-treated groups. The experiment continued for eight weeks. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured. Serum contents of total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), globulin, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and very-low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C) were also assayed. Urea, creatinine, and uric acid levels were determined together with sodium and potassium electrolytes measuring. Moreover, oxidative stress indicators including reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and glutathione reductase (GSR) as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured in both hepatic and renal tissues. Corresponding histological examination of renal and hepatic tissues was conducted. Besides, immunohistochemical evaluations for androgen receptors protein (AR) and heat shock protein 90 (Hsp 90) expressions were performed. BLD caused significant rises in serum ALT, AST, TP, ALB, TC, TG, LDL-C, VLDL-C, urea, creatinine, uric acid, potassium, and MDA levels. Further, BLD-injected rats showed significant declines in the serum levels of HDL-C, sodium, GSH, GPx, GST, and GSR. Besides, distinct histopathological perturbations were detected in renal and hepatic tissues of BLD-injected rats. AR and Hsp 90 immunoexpression were increased in hepatic and renal tissues. In contrast, VC significantly reversed the BLD-induced hepatorenal damage in co-treated rats but not ameliorated AR protein overexpression. VC could be an efficient preventive supplement for mitigating BLD-induced hepatorenal damage, possibly via controlling oxidative stress events.

Determination of boldenone in postmortem specimens including blood and urine samples using LC-MS/MS

Boldenone (BOLD), one of androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS), although banned in humans, is still available illegally. AAS abuse has previously been associated with various cardiovascular adverse events including acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, and sudden death. In this study, the concentration of BOLD was determined in postmortem specimens from the corpse of a human male who intentionally injected BOLD undecylenate into his shoulder muscle. In addition, the endogenous levels of BOLD in the blood and urine samples of young human males have been reported. A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method with solid-phase extraction (SPE) was developed and validated for the analysis of BOLD in blood, muscular tissue and urine samples. The validation parameters including linearity, accuracy, precision, matrix effect, and recovery were satisfactory. The concentrations of BOLD in the blood of 20 young human males who didn't take BOLD were under the limit of quantitation (LOQ, 0.5 ng/mL). Additionally, the mean level of BOLD in the urine samples was 3.19 ± 1.65 ng/mL (range: 0.37˜6.02 ng/mL). The concentrations of BOLD in the victim's blood from the femoral vein and heart were 140.44 and 25.74 ng/mL, respectively. On the other hand, those in the muscular tissue from the injection site and the urine sample were 142.3 ng/g and 3474 ng/mL, respectively.

Annual banned-substance review: analytical approaches in human sports drug testing

The aim of improving anti-doping efforts is predicated on several different pillars, including, amongst others, optimized analytical methods. These commonly result from exploiting most recent developments in analytical instrumentation as well as research data on elite athletes' physiology in general, and pharmacology, metabolism, elimination, and downstream effects of prohibited substances and methods of doping, in particular. The need for frequent and adequate adaptations of sports drug testing procedures has been incessant, largely due to the uninterrupted emergence of new chemical entities but also due to the apparent use of established or even obsolete drugs for reasons other than therapeutic means, such as assumed beneficial effects on endurance, strength, and regeneration capacities. Continuing the series of annual banned-substance reviews, literature concerning human sports drug testing published between October 2014 and September 2015 is summarized and reviewed in reference to the content of the 2015 Prohibited List as issued by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), with particular emphasis on analytical approaches and their contribution to enhanced doping controls.