TY - JOUR

T1 - Single-dose administration of clenbuterol is detectable in dried blood spots

AU - Solheim, Sara Amalie

AU - Jessen, Søren

AU - Mørkeberg, Jakob

AU - Thevis, Mario

AU - Dehnes, Yvette

AU - Eibye, Kasper

AU - Hostrup, Morten

AU - Nordsborg, Nikolai Baastrup

N1 - This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Clenbuterol is a β2-agonist prescribed for asthmatic patients in some countries. Based on its anabolic and lipolytic effects observed in studies on rodents and in livestock destined for food production, clenbuterol is abused by bodybuilders and athletes seeking leanness. Urinary clenbuterol analysis is part of routine doping analysis. However, the collection of urine samples is time-consuming and can be intimidating for athletes. Dried blood spot (DBS) appears attractive as an alternative matrix, but the detectability of clenbuterol in humans through DBS has not been investigated. We evaluated if clenbuterol could be detected in DBS and urine collected from 6 healthy men after oral intake of 80 μg clenbuterol. DBS and urine samples were collected at 0, 3, 8, 24 and 72 h post-ingestion, with additional urine collections on day 7 and 10. Using LC-MS/MS, we showed that clenbuterol could be detected in all DBS samples for 24 h post-ingestion and with 50% sensitivity three days after ingestion. The DBS method was 100% specific. Evaluation of analyte stability showed that clenbuterol is stable in DBS for at least 365 days at room temperature when using desiccant and avoiding light exposure. In urine, clenbuterol was detectable for at least 7-10 days after ingestion. Urinary clenbuterol concentrations below 5 ng/mL were present in some subjects 24 h after administration. Collectively, these data indicate that DBS are suitable for routine doping control analysis of clenbuterol with a detection window of at least 3 days after oral administration of 80 μg.

AB - Clenbuterol is a β2-agonist prescribed for asthmatic patients in some countries. Based on its anabolic and lipolytic effects observed in studies on rodents and in livestock destined for food production, clenbuterol is abused by bodybuilders and athletes seeking leanness. Urinary clenbuterol analysis is part of routine doping analysis. However, the collection of urine samples is time-consuming and can be intimidating for athletes. Dried blood spot (DBS) appears attractive as an alternative matrix, but the detectability of clenbuterol in humans through DBS has not been investigated. We evaluated if clenbuterol could be detected in DBS and urine collected from 6 healthy men after oral intake of 80 μg clenbuterol. DBS and urine samples were collected at 0, 3, 8, 24 and 72 h post-ingestion, with additional urine collections on day 7 and 10. Using LC-MS/MS, we showed that clenbuterol could be detected in all DBS samples for 24 h post-ingestion and with 50% sensitivity three days after ingestion. The DBS method was 100% specific. Evaluation of analyte stability showed that clenbuterol is stable in DBS for at least 365 days at room temperature when using desiccant and avoiding light exposure. In urine, clenbuterol was detectable for at least 7-10 days after ingestion. Urinary clenbuterol concentrations below 5 ng/mL were present in some subjects 24 h after administration. Collectively, these data indicate that DBS are suitable for routine doping control analysis of clenbuterol with a detection window of at least 3 days after oral administration of 80 μg.

KW - Faculty of Science

KW - Dried blood spots (DBS)

KW - Clenbuterol

KW - Doping analysis

KW - Detection windows

U2 - 10.1002/dta.2872

DO - 10.1002/dta.2872

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 32495983

VL - 12

SP - 1366

EP - 1372

JO - Drug Testing and Analysis

JF - Drug Testing and Analysis

SN - 1942-7603

IS - 9

ER -