Complete separation of nine equine oestrogens by high-performance liquid chromatography

Regulation of estrogen activity by sulfation in human Ishikawa endometrial adenocarcinoma cells

Sulfation is an important conjugation reaction in the metabolism of steroids. Steroids sulfates do not interact with the appropriate hormone receptors; additionally, the presence of the charged sulfate moiety increases the aqueous solubility and excretion of most steroids. Estrogen sulfotransferase (EST) is the major form of human cytosolic ST involved in the conjugation of estrogens. EST is important in the inactivation of beta-estradiol (E2) during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. EST has a significantly higher affinity for the sulfation of E2 and 17alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2) than for other potent estrogens such as diethylstilbestrol (DES) and equine estrogens. The ability of EST to sulfate these estrogenic compounds at physiologic concentrations is important in regulating their activation of the ER in estrogen responsive cells. Human Ishikawa endometrial adenocarcinoma (ISH) cells possess an estrogen receptor (ER)-regulated alkaline phosphatase (AlkPhos) which is used to assay ER activation. To study the effects of EST activity on the ER activation of different estrogenic compounds, ISH cells were stably transformed with an EST expression vector. Dose-response curves for the induction of AlkPhos activity by the different estrogenic compounds were generated with EST/ISH and control pcDNA/ISH cells. EST/ISH cells were 200-fold less sensitive to E2 and EE2 than were control cells. No differences were observed in the dose response curves for DES between EST/ISH and pcDNA/ISH cells. EST/ISH cells were approximately 3-10-fold less sensitive to the equine estrogens equilin and 17-equilin as compared to control cells. The ability of EST to decrease the ER activation of an estrogen correlates with the sulfation of these compounds at nanomolar concentrations by EST/ISH and pcDNA/ISH ISH cells. These results indicate that EST is capable of efficiently inactivating E2 and EE2 but is significantly less effective in inhibiting the ER binding of other potent estrogenic compounds.

HPLC analysis of pharmaceutical estrogens in raw materials and dosage forms

The use of HPLC with fluorescence detection (lambda ex = 280 nm; lambda em = 410 or 312 nm) in combination with a postcolumn on line photochemical derivatization was investigated for the analysis of conjugated and unconjugated estrogens and their correlated impurities. The column effluents were subjected on-line to UV irradiation (254 nm) and the photo induced modifications were useful for the identification of the various estrogens. The proposed HPLC methods were successfully applied to the analysis of commercially available conjugated estrogens (raw materials and pharmaceuticals) and estrogen samples. The assays results relative to the pharmaceutical formulations were in agreement with those obtained by a reference HPLC method with UV detection (lambda = 280 nm).

Pyrene sulphonyl chloride as a reagent for quantitation of oestrogens in human serum using HPLC with conventional and laser-induced fluorescence detection

A highly sensitive HPLC method with conventional and laser-induced fluorescence detection for the analyses of oestrogens is described. beta-oestradiol (beta-ES) was chosen as a model and derivatized with pyrenesulphonyl chloride (PSCL), a novel derivatizing reagent, using a two-phase system with tetrapentylammonium bromide (TPABR) as a phase transfer catalyst. Derivatization was complete in 30 s at room temperature and concentrations as low as 5 x 10(-10) M could be derivatized and detected. The concentration detection limit PSCL derivatized beta-ES was 2 x 10(-11) M which corresponds to an on-column detection limit of one femtomole using conventional chromatography and detection. The relative standard deviation (n = 6) of the derivatization carried out at 2.5 x 10(-9) M was 4%. No significant loss of peak-height of the derivative was observed at room temperature over 24 h period. Baseline resolution of PSCL derivatized oestrone, equilin and beta-oestradiol was achieved with ACN:H2O (75:25 v/v) using a Bondclone C-18 column. The method described here is sufficiently sensitive for analyses of beta-oestradiol at low pg/mL concentrations in 1 mL of human serum. The PSCL derivatives of oestrogens demonstrate excellent potential for excitation by laser-induced fluorescence using the 351 nm line of an Ar ion laser or the 325 nm line of He-Cd laser. A concentration limit of detection of 4 x 10(-12) M for beta-oestradiol was achieved using the 325 nm line of an He-Cd laser. This corresponds to 0.2 fmol of derivatized beta-oestradiol on-column.

Separation of pharmaceutically important estrogens by micellar electrokinetic chromatography

Baseline separation of ten estrogens of the type found in conjugated estrogens tablets from pregnant mares' urine were separated by micellar electrokinetic chromatography with a 20 mM sodium borate-sodium phosphate buffer (pH 8) containing either 75 mM sodium cholate and 15 mM beta-cyclodextrin or 50 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate and 20 mM gamma-cyclodextrin. The system containing sodium cholate was used to identify estrogens in a pharmaceutical tablet formulation of conjugated estrogens and to determine the amounts and ratio of sodium equilin sulfate to sodium estrone sulfate to confirm tablet conformity with regulatory requirements. Baseline separation of the seven ethynyl steroids registered as oral contraceptives in the USA was obtained with the system 20 mM sodium borate-sodium phosphate buffer (pH 8) containing 50 mM sodium cholate and 10% (v/v) methanol. Factors that affect selectivity and reproducibility of the above separation systems are discussed.

Computer-assisted optimization of the gas chromatographic separation of equine estrogens

The pharmaceutically important conjugated estrogens of the type excreted by pregnant mares were baseline-resolved by gas chromatography (GC) on a SE-30 fused-silica open tubular column after acid hydrolysis and conversion to their tert.-butyldimethylsilyl derivatives. The temperature-programmed conditions were optimized with the aid of DryLab GC software with excellent agreement between the predicted and experimental results. The composition of conjugated estrogens in Premarin tablets is described as an application of the method.

Determination of estrogens in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography after pre-column derivatization with 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole

A sensitive method for the determination of estrogens by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorimetric detection was reported. The estrogens were derivatized with 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole to their esters in the presence of 4-piperidinopyridine and 1-isopropyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide perchlorate. The resulting esters were extracted with a Sep-Pak C18 plus cartridge, and then esters were separated on a Wakosil 5C18 column with water-methanol (10:90, v/v) as the mobile phase. The esters were detected by fluorimetric detection (excitation wavelength = 336 nm, emission wavelength = 440 nm). The within-day relative standards deviations (n = 6) for each estrogen (1.0 ng per 100 microliters of plasma) were 8.7-13.0%, and day-to-day relative standard deviations (n = 6) were 8.3-11.8%. The limits of detection for estrogens (estrone, estradiol, estriol, estetrol, ethynyl-estradiol, 2-hydroxyestradiol, 4-hydroxyestradiol) were 0.1-0.2 pg per 100 microliters of plasma (signal-to-noise ratio 3).