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Iannella L, Botrè F, Colamonici C, Curcio D, Torre X. Development and validation of a method to confirm the exogenous origin of prednisone and prednisolone by GC‐C‐IRMS. Drug Test Anal 2019; 11:1615-1628. [DOI: 10.1002/dta.2715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Loredana Iannella
- Laboratorio AntidopingFederazione Medico Sportiva Italiana Rome Italy
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologia del Farmaco“Sapienza” Università di Roma Rome Italy
| | - Francesco Botrè
- Laboratorio AntidopingFederazione Medico Sportiva Italiana Rome Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale“Sapienza” Università di Roma Rome Italy
| | | | - Davide Curcio
- Laboratorio AntidopingFederazione Medico Sportiva Italiana Rome Italy
| | - Xavier Torre
- Laboratorio AntidopingFederazione Medico Sportiva Italiana Rome Italy
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Mazzarino M, Piantadosi C, Comunità F, Torre X, Botrè F. Urinary excretion profile of prednisone and prednisolone after different administration routes. Drug Test Anal 2019; 11:1601-1614. [DOI: 10.1002/dta.2733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Monica Mazzarino
- Laboratorio Antidoping Federazione Medico Sportiva Italiana, Largo Giulio Onesti, 1, 00197 Rome Italy
| | - Chiara Piantadosi
- Laboratorio Antidoping Federazione Medico Sportiva Italiana, Largo Giulio Onesti, 1, 00197 Rome Italy
| | - Fabio Comunità
- Laboratorio Antidoping Federazione Medico Sportiva Italiana, Largo Giulio Onesti, 1, 00197 Rome Italy
| | - Xavier Torre
- Laboratorio Antidoping Federazione Medico Sportiva Italiana, Largo Giulio Onesti, 1, 00197 Rome Italy
| | - Francesco Botrè
- Laboratorio Antidoping Federazione Medico Sportiva Italiana, Largo Giulio Onesti, 1, 00197 Rome Italy
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale“Sapienza” Università di Roma Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome Italy
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Capra P, Leporati M, Nebbia C, Gatto S, Attucci A, Barbarino G, Vincenti M. Effects of truck transportation and slaughtering on the occurrence of prednisolone and its metabolites in cow urine, liver, and adrenal glands. BMC Vet Res 2019; 15:336. [PMID: 31533706 PMCID: PMC6751679 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-019-2069-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The recognition of illegal administration of synthetic corticosteroids in animal husbandry has been recently challenged by the case of prednisolone, whose occasional presence in the urine of bovines under strong stressful conditions was attributed to endogenous biosynthesis, not to exogenous administration. The study of the natural stress sources possibly inducing endogenous prednisolone production represents a stimulating investigation subject. The biochemical effects of transportation and slaughtering were verified in untreated cows by studying the possible occurrence of prednisolone and its metabolites in urine, liver and adrenal glands, and the cortisol/cortisone quantification. Results Cortisol, cortisone, prednisolone and its metabolites were measured in urine, collected at farm under natural micturition and then at the slaughterhouse. The study was performed on 15 untreated cows reared in different farms at the end of their productive cycle. 2–3 days after the first urine collection, the animals were transported by trucks to the abattoir, slaughtered, and subjected to a second urine sampling from the bladder. Specimens of liver and adrenal gland were also collected and analysed by means of a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) validated method. The stressful conditions of transportation and slaughtering proved to increase considerably the urinary levels of cortisol and cortisone as compared to those collected at farm. Prednisolone was detected in the urine collected at the slaughterhouse of two cows only, at a concentration level (≈0.6 μg L− 1) largely below the official cut off (5.0 μg L− 1) established to avoid false non-compliances. These two animals exhibited the highest urinary cortisol levels of the series. Prednisolone and prednisone were also detected in the adrenal glands of a different cow. Prednisolone metabolites were not detected in any urine, liver, and adrenal gland sample. Conclusion Within the constraints of the condition adopted, this study confirms the sporadic presence of prednisolone traces (2 samples out of 15) and the consistently increased concentration of cortisone and cortisol in the urines collected from cows subjected to truck transportation and subsequent slaughtering. No prednisolone metabolites were detected in any liver and adrenal gland samples, nor in urine specimens, unlike what was previously reported for cows artificially stressed by pharmacological treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierluigi Capra
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Torino, Italy
| | - Marta Leporati
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Torino, Italy.,Centro Regionale Antidoping e di Tossicologia "A. Bertinaria", Orbassano (Torino), Italy
| | - Carlo Nebbia
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Torino, Grugliasco (Torino), Italy
| | - Stefano Gatto
- Azienda Sanitaria Locale di Collegno e Pinerolo - ASL TO3, Collegno (Torino), Italy
| | - Alberto Attucci
- Azienda Sanitaria Locale di Cuneo, Mondovì - ASL CN1, Cuneo, Italy
| | | | - Marco Vincenti
- Centro Regionale Antidoping e di Tossicologia "A. Bertinaria", Orbassano (Torino), Italy. .,Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria, 7, 10125, Torino, Italy.
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Giaccone V, Macaluso A, Cammilleri G, Vella A, Ferrantelli V. Corticosteroids in liver and urine in Sicilian cattle by a LC-MS/MS method. FOOD ADDITIVES & CONTAMINANTS. PART B, SURVEILLANCE 2018; 11:201-207. [PMID: 29716443 DOI: 10.1080/19393210.2018.1470578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The presence of corticosteroid residues was assessed in urine and liver samples from livestock of Sicily. A total of 630 bovine samples were collected from farms and slaughterhouses. The samples were analysed using solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled with ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). All the corticosteroids found were under the maximum residue limit imposed by Commission Regulation (EC) 37/2010. About 4% of liver samples showed dexamethasone levels above the limit of detection (LOD), with a mean of 1.5 ± 0.2 µg kg-1. Betamethasone was found only in seven liver samples, with a mean of 1.6 ± 0.1 µg kg-1. Furthermore, prednisolone and prednisone were found only in urine and liver samples from slaughterhouse, probably related to the high rate of stress for bovines. These results suggest good control practices adopted by Sicilian farms, able to ensure the quality of food products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vita Giaccone
- a Area Chimica e Tecnologie Alimentari , Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri" , Palermo , Italy
| | - Andrea Macaluso
- a Area Chimica e Tecnologie Alimentari , Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri" , Palermo , Italy
| | - Gaetano Cammilleri
- a Area Chimica e Tecnologie Alimentari , Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri" , Palermo , Italy
| | - Antonio Vella
- a Area Chimica e Tecnologie Alimentari , Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri" , Palermo , Italy
| | - Vincenzo Ferrantelli
- a Area Chimica e Tecnologie Alimentari , Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri" , Palermo , Italy
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Divari S, Berio E, Biolatti B, Cannizzo FT. Reference Gene Selection and Prednisolone Target Gene Expression in Adipose Tissues of Friesian Cattle. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2017; 65:11140-11145. [PMID: 29179546 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b04795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Corticosteroids are frequently used in livestock production, and their use is permitted by the European Union for therapeutic purposes only. However, small doses of corticosteroids are often administered in meat-producing animals to improve zootechnical performance. Prednisolone is one of the most commonly used corticosteroids with a growth-promoting purpose in animal husbandry. This study proposes to identify a gene whose expression is significantly regulated by prednisolone in visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues. The analysis was conducted on Friesian cattle treated with prednisolone (30 mg day-1). The reference gene expression stability and optimal number for gene expression normalization were calculated. Family with sequence similarity 107 member A (FAM107A) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 are the prednisolone target genes identified in adipose tissue. FAM107A was downregulated by ∼2.9-fold by prednisolone in subcutaneous adipose tissue. This result suggests that FAM107A could be a possible indirect biomarker of prednisolone treatment in cattle and encourages a deeper investigation in this direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Divari
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin , Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy
| | - Enrica Berio
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin , Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy
| | - Bartolomeo Biolatti
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin , Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Tiziana Cannizzo
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin , Largo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy
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Leporati M, Nobile M, Capra P, Alladio E, Vincenti M. Determination of endogenous and exogenous corticosteroids in bovine urine and effect of fighting stress during the “Batailles des Reines” on their biosynthesis. Res Vet Sci 2017; 114:423-429. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2017.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Revised: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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7
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Chiesa LM, Nobile M, Panseri S, Biolatti B, Cannizzo FT, Pavlovic R, Arioli F. Bovine teeth as a novel matrix for the control of the food chain: liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry detection of treatments with prednisolone, dexamethasone, estradiol, nandrolone and seven β2-agonists. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess 2016; 34:40-48. [DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2016.1252469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Maria Chiesa
- Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Nobile
- Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Panseri
- Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Bartolomeo Biolatti
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco (Turin), Italy
| | | | - Radmila Pavlovic
- Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Arioli
- Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Chiesa L, Panseri S, Pavlovic R, Cannizzo FT, Biolatti B, Divari S, Villa R, Arioli F. HPLC-ESI-MS/MS assessment of the tetrahydro-metabolites of cortisol and cortisone in bovine urine: promising markers of dexamethasone and prednisolone treatment. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess 2016; 33:1175-89. [DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2016.1202453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Chiesa
- Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Panseri
- Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Radmila Pavlovic
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis, Nis, Serbia
| | | | | | - Sara Divari
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Roberto Villa
- Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Arioli
- Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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9
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Chiesa L, Pavone S, Pasquale E, Pavlovic R, Panseri S, Valiani A, Arioli F, Manuali E. Study on cortisol, cortisone and prednisolone presence in urine of Chianina cattle breed. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2016; 101:893-903. [DOI: 10.1111/jpn.12509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- L. Chiesa
- Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health; Laboratory of Animal Food Inspection; University of Milan; Milan Italy
| | - S. Pavone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche; Perugia Italy
| | - E. Pasquale
- Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health; Laboratory of Animal Food Inspection; University of Milan; Milan Italy
| | - R. Pavlovic
- Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health; Laboratory of Animal Food Inspection; University of Milan; Milan Italy
| | - S. Panseri
- Department of Veterinary Science and Public Health; Laboratory of Animal Food Inspection; University of Milan; Milan Italy
| | - A. Valiani
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche; Perugia Italy
| | - F. Arioli
- Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety; University of Milan; Milan Italy
| | - E. Manuali
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Umbria e delle Marche; Perugia Italy
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Chiesa LM, Nobile M, Biolatti B, Pavlovic R, Panseri S, Cannizzo FT, Arioli F. Detection of selected corticosteroids and anabolic steroids in calf milk replacers by liquid chromatography–electrospray ionisation – Tandem mass spectrometry. Food Control 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2015.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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11
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Famele M, Ferranti C, Palleschi L, Abenavoli C, Fidente RM, Pezzolato M, Botta M, Bozzetta E, Draisci R. Quantification of natural and synthetic glucocorticoids in calf urine following different growth-promoting prednisolone treatments. Steroids 2015; 104:196-202. [PMID: 26463899 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Over the last few years, low levels of prednisolone have been reported in several cattle urine samples by a number of laboratories within the EU at an average concentration of 2.0 ng mL(-1). The occurrence of prednisolone residues together with increased levels of hydrocortisone and cortisone in urine and tissue samples of untreated animals seems to demonstrate that traces of this steroid can be produced endogenously during stressful situations. Therefore, the endogenous origin of prednisolone makes difficult to correlate positive samples to a potential illicit treatment. An experimental study was developed to investigate the presence of natural and synthetic glucocorticoids and to evaluate levels of excreted prednisolone following growth-promoting treatments. Urine samples from calves undergone oral treatment with prednisolone, alone and in association with dexamethasone, were analyzed by a LC-MS/MS method, validated according to the Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. We also investigated if urinary free 6β-hydroxyhydrocortisone/hydrocortisone ratio could be a reliable biomarker of illicit treatment with prednisolone and dexamethasone in calves. Our data revealed that urinary levels of prednisolone after both oral prednisolone treatments, never exceeded the value of 1.1 ng mL(-1). Similar prednisolone levels were found in urine samples of untreated calves. Moreover the presence of 6β-hydroxyhydrocortisone below the CCα value made possible to estimate the 6β-hydroxyhydrocortisone/hydrocortisone ratio only in a very limited number of samples. Obtained data suggest that further criteria have to be considered to allow correct decisions about the urinary presence of prednisolone during control activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Famele
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, n. 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - C Ferranti
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, n. 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - L Palleschi
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, n. 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - C Abenavoli
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, n. 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - R M Fidente
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, n. 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - M Pezzolato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle D'Aosta, Via Bologna n. 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
| | - M Botta
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle D'Aosta, Via Bologna n. 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
| | - E Bozzetta
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle D'Aosta, Via Bologna n. 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
| | - R Draisci
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, n. 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
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De Clercq N, Van Meulebroek L, Vanden Bussche J, Croubels S, Delahaut P, Vanhaecke L. The impact of stress on the prevalence of prednisolone in bovine urine: A metabolic fingerprinting approach. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2015; 154:206-16. [PMID: 26321385 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2015.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Revised: 07/31/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies support the hypothesis that the glucocorticoid prednisolone can be formed from cortisol under influence of stress. To evaluate this hypothesis, urine samples of supposedly non-stressed bovines (at the farm) and bovines subjected to two different forms of stress, i.e. upon slaughter (natural stress) or following administration of a synthetic analog of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (pharmacologically-induced stress) were analysed, and their urinary cortisol and prednisolone levels evaluated. At the farm, none of the examined samples exhibited urinary prednisolone levels higher than the CCα (0.09 μg L(-1)). Upon slaughter or following synthetically induced stress, significantly positive correlations between cortisol and prednisolone could be demonstrated, 0.52 and 0.69, respectively. Of all prednisolone-positive urine samples (n=84), only one showed a prednisolone levels (i.e. 6.45 μg L(-1)) above the threshold level of 5 μg L(-1) suggested by the European Reference Laboratories. Subsequently, an untargeted analysis was performed (metabolic fingerprinting) to characterize the urinary metabolite patterns related to the three different cattle groups. In this context, multivariate statistics assigned a total of 169 differentiating metabolites as playing a key role in the urinary pattern in response to stress. Three of these ions were defined as steroids using an in-house created database. As a result, the metabolic fingerprinting approach proved to be a powerful tool to classify unknown bovine urine samples that tested positive for prednisolone, while providing information about the stress status of the animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie De Clercq
- Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Public Health & Food Safety, Laboratory of Chemical Analysis, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Lieven Van Meulebroek
- Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Public Health & Food Safety, Laboratory of Chemical Analysis, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Julie Vanden Bussche
- Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Public Health & Food Safety, Laboratory of Chemical Analysis, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Siska Croubels
- Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Biochemistry, Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Philippe Delahaut
- CER Groupe, Département Santé, Rue du Point du Jour 8, B-6900 Marloie, Belgium
| | - Lynn Vanhaecke
- Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Public Health & Food Safety, Laboratory of Chemical Analysis, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
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Proteomic identification of plasma proteins as markers of growth promoter abuse in cattle. Anal Bioanal Chem 2015; 407:4495-507. [DOI: 10.1007/s00216-015-8651-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Revised: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Arioli F, Pasquale E, Panseri S, Bonizzi L, Labella GF, Casati A, Foschini S, Chiesa L. Pseudoendogenous origin of prednisolone in pigs from the food chain. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess 2015; 32:833-40. [PMID: 25768050 DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2015.1028482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The debate about the origin of prednisolone in animal organisms has lasted for 5 years. Bovine species have been the most studied, but studies on humans and horses are also present in the literature. Even if prednisolone in pigs does not yet represent a problem for control agencies, interest has recently increased with regard to this species. To date, there has been just a single study in the literature about this topic, performed on 10 sows treated with prednisolone or a synthetic analogue of adrenocorticotropic hormone. We therefore initiated a study on 80 pigs, a number considered representative in relation to the expected frequency (prevalence) of prednisolone detection in urine collected at slaughter. Prednisolone was detected in urine both at the farm and at the slaughterhouse, with a concentration and frequency higher at slaughter. The presence of prednisolone was also studied in the adrenal glands, where the corticosteroids are produced in response to stress, and it was detected in 89% of the samples. These results, together with the similar behaviours of prednisolone and cortisol, i.e. a mutual rise in the two corticosteroids in urine collected at the slaughterhouse and the correlation between the concentrations of the two corticosteroids in the adrenal glands, seem to indicate an endogenous origin of prednisolone in pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Arioli
- a Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety , University of Milan , Milan , Italy
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15
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Nebbia C, Capra P, Leporati M, Girolami F, Barbarino G, Gatto S, Vincenti M. Profile of the urinary excretion of prednisolone and its metabolites in finishing bulls and cows treated with a therapeutic schedule. BMC Vet Res 2014; 10:237. [PMID: 25267433 PMCID: PMC4189600 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-014-0237-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 09/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prednisolone was one of the first glucocorticoids to be synthesised, but it is still widely applied to cattle. Illegal uses of prednisolone include its uses for masking a number of diseases before animal sale and, at lower dosages for extended periods of time, for the improvement of feed efficiency and carcass characteristics. Since occasional presence of prednisolone has been detected at trace level in urine samples from untreated cattle, the Italian Ministry of Health introduced a provisional limit of 5 ng/mL to avoid false non-compliances. However, this limit proved ineffective in disclosing prednisolone misuse as a growth-promoter. In the present study, prednisolone acetate was administered to finishing bulls and cows according to a therapeutic protocol (2 × 0.4-0.5 mg/kg bw i.m. at 48 h interval) to further verify the practical impact of this cut-off limit and develop sound strategies to distinguish between exogenous administration and endogenous production. Urinary prednisolone, prednisone, 20β-dihydroprednisolone, 20α-dihydroprednisolone, 20β-dihydroprednisone, 6β-hydroxyprednisolone, cortisol, and cortisone were determined using a validated LC/MS-MS method. RESULTS The urinary excretion profile showed the simultaneous presence of prednisolone, 20β-dihydroprednisolone, and prednisone, the latter at lower concentrations, up to 33 days after the first dosing. Higher analyte levels were detected in bulls even after correction for dilution in the urine. Prednisolone concentrations below 5 ng/ml were determined in half of the samples collected at 19 days, and in all the samples obtained 26 and 33 days after the first administration. No measurable concentrations of prednisolone or its metabolites were found in the samples collected before the treatment, while cortisol and cortisone levels lower than the respective LOQs were observed upon treatment. CONCLUSIONS The present study confirms the criticism of the coarse quantitative approach currently adopted to ascertain illegal prednisolone administration in cattle. As previously shown for growth-promoting treatments of meat cattle, the simultaneous determination of urinary prednisolone, prednisone, 20β-dihydroprednisolone, along with cortisol and cortisone, may represent a more reliable approach to confirm the exogenous origin of prednisolone. Such a strategy would facilitate unequivocal detection of animals treated with prednisolone acetate using a therapeutical protocol, even 3 to 4 weeks after the treatment.
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