Effects of transdermal administration of testosterone gel on the urinary steroid profile in hypogonadal men: implications in antidoping analysis

Publication date: Available online 6 September 2019Source: SteroidsAuthor(s): Michele Iannone, Amelia Palermo, Xavier de la Torre, Francesco Romanelli, Andrea Sansone, Massimiliano Sansone, Andrea Lenzi, Francesco BotrèAbstractTestosterone is one of the most abused pseudo-endogenous anabolic steroids in sport doping. The current method adopted to detect the abuse of testosterone and other pseudo-endogenous steroids (endogenous steroids when administered exogenously) is first based on the longitudinal monitoring of several urinary biomarkers, which constitute the so called “steroidal module” of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP): atypical samples undergo a confirmation analysis based on the measurement of the 13C/12C isotopic ratio of selected target compounds, to distinguish their endogenous or exogenous origin. At the same time, testosterone administration can be allowed in athletes diagnosed with hypogonadism, provided they are granted a therapeutic use exemption by the relevant medical authority.In this pilot study we have investigated whether the approach based on the preliminary determination of the urinary steroid profile, in the format considered in the steroidal module of the ABP, also integrated with the inclusion of the sulfo-conjugates and of additional target steroids, can retain its validity also in the case of hypogonadal athletes. We have studied the effects of a single low dose (40 mg) of testosterone gel (T-gel) on the urinary concentration of the mar...
Source: Steroids - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research