Evaluation of dried blood spots as an alternative sample matrix for equine antidoping analysis

Controlling the abuse of prohibited substances such as anabolic steroids, selective androgen receptor modulators, beta-adrenoceptor agonists, and blood doping agents is of great interest to racing authorities. The use of dried blood spots (DBS) as an alternative sampling approach may be a feasible approach for controlling the use of these agents. To assess the feasibility of using DBS in equine blood, an 11-min liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method was developed on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer following extraction from Whatman 903 DBS cards. A total of 50 compounds across multiple compound classes were detectable with reproducible results. The stability was assessed with good results after almost 3 months of storage at ambient temperatures. These results suggest that the use of DBS may be a feasible alternative sampling approach in equine drug testing.

Automated summary

Research indicates that using dried blood spots (DBS) as an alternative sampling method is feasible for controlling the abuse of prohibited substances such as anabolic steroids. The 11-minute liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method developed for equine blood samples from DBS cards showed reproducible results and good stability after storage at ambient temperatures for almost 3 months. Therefore, DBS may be an effective alternative sampling approach in equine drug testing.