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Accumulation of the β2-adrenergic agonist clenbuterol in mouse dark hair

  • Toxicokinetics and Metabolism
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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the suitability of dark hair as a matrix for determination of the β2-adrenergic agonist clenbuterol residues using previously validated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as a screening method for its quantitative determination. The experimental group of mice (n = 60) were treated with two different anabolic dosages of clenbuterol for 15 days, whereas the control group of animals (n = 30) was left completely untreated. Hair samples were collected on days 0, 5, 10, and 15 of treatment. Validation of the ELISA analytical procedure showed good recovery (mean recovery 74%) with an acceptable intra-assay variation in individual measurements for all hair samples to which 5, 10, and 50 ng/g clenbuterol were added (CV < 10%). Low blank levels of clenbuterol (2.4 ± 0.6 ng/g) were measured in hair of untreated mice, whereas significantly higher clenbuterol concentrations rising proportionally with the time of treatment were recorded in hair of mice treated with lower (6.5 mg/kg body mass) and higher (12.5 mg/kg body mass) dose of clenbuterol. The peak hair concentration of clenbuterol measured on the last day of treatment (day 15) was 1553.9 ± 140.1 ng/g and 6248.3 ± 589.4 ng/g in the lower and higher dose group, respectively. Study results clearly indicated dark hair as a pigmented tissue to have a high accumulation potential for clenbuterol residues, thus being the target matrix of choice for detection of clenbuterol abuse as an anabolic in meat production.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported as a research project by the Croatian Ministry of Science Education and Sports, grant no. 048-0531854-0467.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Analytical Chemistry, Croatian Veterinary Institute, Savska 143, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Jelka Pleadin, Tihomira Gojmerac & Nina Perši

  2. Laboratory for Pathology, Croatian Veterinary Institute, Savska 143, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Zoran Lipej & Dinko Novosel

  3. Laboratory for Animal Feed Microbiology, Croatian Veterinary Institute, Savska 143, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Mario Mitak

Authors
  1. Jelka Pleadin
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  2. Tihomira Gojmerac
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  3. Zoran Lipej
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  4. Mario Mitak
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  5. Dinko Novosel
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  6. Nina Perši
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Correspondence to Jelka Pleadin.

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Pleadin, J., Gojmerac, T., Lipej, Z. et al. Accumulation of the β2-adrenergic agonist clenbuterol in mouse dark hair. Arch Toxicol 83, 979–983 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-009-0446-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-009-0446-7

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