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Carbon isotope ratios of nandrolone, boldenone, and testosterone preparations seized in Norway compared to those of endogenously produced steroids in a Nordic reference population
Author(s) -
Hullstein Ingunn,
Sagredo Carlos,
Hemmersbach Peter
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
drug testing and analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.065
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1942-7611
pISSN - 1942-7603
DOI - 10.1002/dta.1745
Subject(s) - nandrolone , chemistry , testosterone (patch) , anabolism , isotope ratio mass spectrometry , population , anabolic androgenic steroids , chromatography , androgen , medicine , endocrinology , gas chromatography , biochemistry , hormone , biology , environmental health
Determining the origin of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) that also are produced endogenously in the human body is a major issue in doping control. In some cases, the presence of nandrolone and boldenone metabolites might result from endogenous production. The GC‐C‐IRMS technique (gas chromatography‐combustion‐isotope ratio mass spectrometry) enables the carbon isotopic ratio (CIR) to be measured to determine the origin of these metabolites. The aim of this study was to use GC‐C‐IRMS to determine the δ 13 C VPDB values of seized boldenone and nandrolone preparations to decide if the steroids themselves were depleted in 13 C, compared to what is normally seen in endogenously produced steroids. In addition, several testosterone preparations were analyzed. A total of 69 seized preparations were analyzed. The nandrolone preparations showed δ 13 C VPDB values in the range of ‐31.5 ‰ to ‐26.7 ‰. The boldenone preparations showed δ 13 C VPDB values in the range of ‐32.0 ‰ to ‐27.8 ‰, and for comparison the testosterone preparations showed δ 13 C VPDB values of ‐31.0 ‰ to ‐24.2 ‰. The results showed that the values measured in the nandrolone and boldenone preparations were in the same range as those measured in the testosterone preparations. The study also included measurements of CIR of endogenously produced steroids in a Norwegian/Danish reference population. The δ 13 C VPDB values measured for the endogenous steroids in this population were in the range of ‐21.7 to ‐26.8. In general, most of the preparations investigated in this study show 13 C‐depleted delta values compared to endogenously produced steroids reflecting a northern European diet. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.