Analysis of hormonal steroids in fish plasma and bile by coupling solid-phase extraction to GC/MS

Anal Bioanal Chem. 2006 Nov;386(5):1429-39. doi: 10.1007/s00216-006-0686-9. Epub 2006 Aug 12.

Abstract

An analytical procedure for the simultaneous determination of twelve endogenous steroids (testosterone, androstenedione, 17beta-estradiol, estrone, pregnenolone, progesterone, dihydroandrostenedione, dihydrotestosterone, 11alpha-ketotestosterone, 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, 17alpha-hydroxypregnenolone, 17alpha,20beta-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one) in plasma and bile samples by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been developed. After enzymatic hydrolysis for bile samples only, samples were concentrated and purified using two successive SPE (C(18) and NH(2)) cartridges. Analytes were derivatized with a mixture of N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (MSTFA) / mercaptoethanol / ammonium iodide (NH(4)I) and determined by GC-MS in selective ion monitoring mode. For most of the steroids monitored, recoveries were in the range 90-120% in plasma and in the range 60-70% in bile, and the reproducibility was below 10% for the complete procedure. Limits of detection obtained ranged from 0.1 to 0.4 ng/g in fish plasma and from 1.6 to 14 ng/g in fish bile. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of plasma steroids in flounders (Platichthys flesus) collected from two French estuaries.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bile / chemistry*
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / methods*
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Oncorhynchus mykiss
  • Plasma / chemistry*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Solid Phase Microextraction / methods*
  • Solvents / chemistry
  • Steroids / analysis*
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Solvents
  • Steroids