1. Evaluation of epiandrosterone as a long-term marker of testosterone use
- Author
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Vinod Nair, Christine E. Doman, Matthew S. Morrison, Daniel Eichner, Geoffrey D. Miller, Jacob D Husk, Peter Van Eenoo, and Andre K. Crouch
- Subjects
Epiandrosterone sulfate ,Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Injections, Subcutaneous ,Skin Absorption ,Pharmaceutical Science ,Epiandrosterone ,Pharmacology ,Administration, Cutaneous ,Androsterone ,01 natural sciences ,Injections, Intramuscular ,Anabolic Agents ,Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ,Analytical Chemistry ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Subcutaneous Absorption ,Environmental Chemistry ,Medicine ,Humans ,Testosterone ,030216 legal & forensic medicine ,Spectroscopy ,Transdermal ,Doping in Sports ,business.industry ,010401 analytical chemistry ,Low dose ,Multiple modes ,0104 chemical sciences ,Substance Abuse Detection ,Intramuscular Absorption ,business ,Gels ,Anabolic steroid ,Biomarkers - Abstract
Identification and evaluation of long-term markers is crucial in prolonging the detection window for anabolic steroid abuse in sport. Recently, sulfoconjugated epiandrosterone was identified as a potential long-term marker for the abuse of certain endogenous anabolic agents, including testosterone, which continues to be widely used as a performance enhancing agent in sport. To evaluate the applicability of epiandrosterone sulfate as a marker for testosterone use, administration studies were conducted with multiple modes of testosterone administration - transdermal, intramuscular, and subcutaneous. A modified sample preparation method was used to collect both glucuronidated and sulfoconjugated analytes of interest. Carbon isotope ratio measurements from the administration studies are presented here. Epiandrosterone was less effective than the conventionally used target compounds for detection of the low dose application (transdermal gel). With intramuscular administration, epiandrosterone was more diagnostic than with transdermal administration, but it did not prolong the detection window more than the conventional target compounds. With subcutaneous administration, the doses administered to the subjects were varied and the effect on the epiandrosterone values was dependent on the magnitude of the dose administered. Epiandrosterone does not appear to be a useful marker in the detection of low dose testosterone administration. It is responsive to higher dose administration, but it does not provide an extension of the detection window relative to conventional target compounds.
- Published
- 2020