Occurrence of α- and β-nortestosterone residues in the urine of injured male cattle

Abstract

The administration of anabolic steroids, for the purposes of growth promotion, to food-producing animals is banned in the EU. Among the compounds covered by this prohibition is ss-nortestosterone (beta-NT). This hormone is known to occur naturally in stallions and boars, and its main bovine metabolite, alpha-nortestosterone (alpha-NT), occurs naturally in pregnant cows and neonatal calves. However, neither compound is believed to occur naturally in male cattle. During 2006, the presence of alpha-NT and, on occasion, beta-NT was confirmed in male cattle (bulls and steers) slaughtered in Northern Ireland on welfare grounds, as a result of acute injury. Subsequent investigations revealed no evidence of abuse at any of the farms involved and revealed that the phenomenon also occurred in three other regions of the EU, in similarly injured animals. A hypothetical link to release of the adrenal steroid, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), in response to the stress of the injury was tested. Following the intravenous administration of DHEA to two normal steers, beta-NT (but not alpha-NT) was confirmed in the urine of one steer. Thus, it may be concluded that both beta-NT and, by implication, alpha-NT can occur naturally in male cattle (or a specific cohort thereof) in contrast to previously accepted scientific knowledge.

5α-Estrane-3β,17β-diol and 5β-estrane-3α,17β-diol: Definitive screening biomarkers to sign nandrolone abuse in cattle?

“…The analysis of urine samples collected on injured animals allowed identification of both 17␣-NT and 17␤-NT as recently described [49] and confirming to a larger extent the possible natural occurrence of nandrolone in male cattle when injured. The 17␣-NT form was detected in about 30% of the samples in the range 0.1-5.3 g L −1 , whereas 17␤-NT was found in only 1 animal out of 65, in which the 17␣-NT form was also present.…”

“…In bovines particularly, it has been known for a long time that 17␣-NT can occur naturally in the urine of pregnant cows [47], it was generally accepted that neither 17␣-NT nor 17␤-NT could occur naturally in the urine of steers or bulls [48]. Nevertheless, some recent findings reported that both forms can be detected in injured animals [49] and that 17␣-NT together with aba-estranediol can be present at very low concentration in the urine of un-injured steers [50] which will most likely represent a difficulty for EU member states that currently rely measurement of 17␣-NT and 17␤-NT to monitor and control the abuse of this popular drug. In this context, the purpose of the present work was to extend the previous estranediol study [35] to pregnant cows and injured animals.…”

Estranediols profiling in calves’ urine after 17β-nandrolone laureate ester administration

“…In bovines particularly, if it is known for a long time that 17␣-NT can occur naturally in the urine of pregnant cows [42], it was generally accepted that neither 17␣-NT nor 17␤-NT occur naturally in the urine of steers or bulls [43]. Nevertheless, some recent findings reported that both forms can be detected in injured animals [44] which will most likely represent a difficulty for EU member states who currently rely on both forms measurements to monitor and control the abuse of this popular drug.…”

A review of analytical strategies for the detection of ‘endogenous’ steroid abuse in food production

“…However, as analytical limits of detection decrease, it is also likely that further steroids will be discovered as endogenous in food-producing animals. For example, since the time that the review article of Scarth et al [35] was published, the following steroids have been discovered to be endogenous: 19-noretiocholanolone in boars and gilts, [42] a range of different nandrolone metabolites in steers and heifers, [47,80] wethers, rams and ewes [48] as well as prednisolone in cattle. [81] Furthermore, it has recently been demonstrated that some types of wooden crate in which veal calves are housed may contain precursors to Boldenone.…”