Brian D Stewart

Racing Laboratory of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

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Publications (8)20.31 Total impact

  • Article: Doping control analysis of TB-500, a synthetic version of an active region of thymosin β(4), in equine urine and plasma by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
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    ABSTRACT: A veterinary preparation known as TB-500 and containing a synthetic version of the naturally occurring peptide LKKTETQ has emerged. The peptide segment (17)LKKTETQ(23) is the active site within the protein thymosin β(4) responsible for actin binding, cell migration and wound healing. The key ingredient of TB-500 is the peptide LKKTETQ with artificial acetylation of the N-terminus. TB-500 is claimed to promote endothelial cell differentiation, angiogenesis in dermal tissues, keratinocyte migration, collagen deposition and decrease inflammation. In order to control the misuse of TB-500 in equine sports, a method to definitely identify its prior use in horses is required. This study describes a method for the simultaneous detection of N-acetylated LKKTETQ and its metabolites in equine urine and plasma samples. The possible metabolites of N-acetylated LKKTETQ were first identified from in vitro studies. The parent peptide and its metabolites were isolated from equine urine or plasma by solid-phase extraction using ion-exchange cartridges, and analysed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS). These analytes were identified according to their LC retention times and relative abundances of the major product ions. The peptide N-acetylated LKKTETQ could be detected and confirmed at 0.02ng/mL in equine plasma and 0.01ng/mL in equine urine. This method was successful in confirming the presence of N-acetylated LKKTETQ and its metabolites in equine urine and plasma collected from horses administered with a single dose of TB-500 (containing 10mg of N-acetylated LKKTETQ). To our knowledge, this is the first identification of TB-500 and its metabolites in post-administration samples from horses.
    Journal of chromatography. A 09/2012; · 4.19 Impact Factor
  • Article: Doping control analysis of insulin and its analogues in equine urine by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
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    ABSTRACT: Insulin and its analogues have been banned in both human and equine sports owing to their potential for misuse. Insulin administration can increase muscle glycogen by utilising hyperinsulinaemic clamps prior to sports events or during the recovery phases, and increase muscle size by its chalonic action to inhibit protein breakdown. In order to control insulin abuse in equine sports, a method to effectively detect the use of insulins in horses is required. Besides the readily available human insulin and its synthetic analogues, structurally similar insulins from other species can also be used as doping agents. The author's laboratory has previously reported a method for the detection of bovine, porcine and human insulins, as well as the synthetic analogues Humalog (Lispro) and Novolog (Aspart) in equine plasma. This study describes a complementary method for the simultaneous detection of five exogenous insulins and their possible metabolites in equine urine. Insulins and their possible metabolites were isolated from equine urine by immunoaffinity purification, and analysed by nano liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Insulin and its analogues were detected and confirmed by comparing their retention times and major product ions. All five insulins (human insulin, Humalog, Novolog, bovine insulin and porcine insulin), which are exogenous in horse, could be detected and confirmed at 0.05ng/mL. This method was successfully applied to confirm the presence of human insulin in urine collected from horses up to 4h after having been administered a single low dose of recombinant human insulin (Humulin R, Eli Lilly). To our knowledge, this is the first identification of exogenous insulin in post-administration horse urine samples.
    Journal of chromatography. A 02/2011; 1218(8):1139-46. · 4.19 Impact Factor
  • Article: Control of the misuse of bromide in horses.
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    ABSTRACT: Bromide is a sedative hypnotic. Due to its potential use as a sedative or calmative agent in competition horses, a method to control bromide is needed. Colorimetric method had been employed in the authors' laboratory from 2003 for the semi-quantification of bromide in equine plasma samples. However, the method was found to be highly susceptible to matrix interference, and was replaced in 2008 with a more reliable inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP/MS) method. Equine plasma was protein-precipitated using trichloroacetic acid, diluted with nitric acid, and then submitted directly to ICP/MS analysis. Since bromide is naturally occurring in equine plasma, a threshold is necessary to control its misuse in horses. Based on population studies (n = 325), a threshold of 90 µg/mL was proposed (with a risk factor of less than 1 in 10 000). Using the ICP/MS screening method, equine plasma samples with bromide greater than 85 µg/mL would be further quantified using the more accurate ICP/MS standard addition method. Confirmation of bromide was achieved by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), with the bromide detected as its pentafluorobenzyl derivative. A sample is considered positive if its plasma bromide concentration exceeds the threshold (90 µg/mL) plus the measurement uncertainty of the quantification method (8 µg/mL at 99% 1-tailed confidence level) and its presence is confirmed using the GC-MS method. Following oral administration of potassium bromide (60 g each) to two geldings, plasma bromide levels peaked after approximately 2 hours at about 300 µg/mL, and then remained above the threshold for 8 and 13 days respectively.
    Drug Testing and Analysis 07/2010; 2(7):323-9. · 2.54 Impact Factor
  • Article: In vitro and in vivo studies of androst-4-ene-3,6,17-trione in horses by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
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    ABSTRACT: This paper describes the application of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for in vitro and in vivo studies of 6-OXO in horses, with a special aim to identify the most appropriate target metabolite to be monitored for controlling the administration of 6-OXO in racehorses. In vitro studies of 6-OXO were performed using horse liver microsomes. The major biotransformation observed was reduction of one keto group at the C3 or C6 positions. Three in vitro metabolites, namely 6alpha-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione (M1), 3alpha-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-6,17-dione (M2a) and 3beta-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-6,17-dione (M2b) were identified. For the in vivo studies, two thoroughbred geldings were each administered orally with 500 mg of androst-4-ene-3,6,17-trione (5 capsules of 6-OXO((R))) by stomach tubing. The results revealed that 6-OXO was extensively metabolized. The three in vitro metabolites (M1, M2a and M2b) identified earlier were all detected in post-administration urine samples. In addition, seven other urinary metabolites, derived from a further reduction of either one of the remaining keto groups or one of the remaining keto groups and the olefin group, were identified. These metabolites included 6alpha,17beta-dihydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one (M3a), 6,17-dihydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one (M3b and M3c), 3beta,6beta-dihydroxyandrost-4-en-17-one (M4a), 3,6-dihydroxyandrost-4-en-17-one (M4b), 3,6-dihydroxyandrostan-17-one (M5) and 3,17-dihydroxyandrostan-6-one (M6). The longest detection time observed in urine was up to 46 h for the M6 metabolite. For blood samples, the peak 6-OXO plasma concentration was observed 1 h post administration. Plasma 6-OXO decreased rapidly and was not detectable 12 h post administration.
    Biomedical Chromatography 11/2009; 24(7):744-51. · 1.97 Impact Factor
  • Article: Doping control analysis of insulin and its analogues in equine plasma by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
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    ABSTRACT: Insulin administration can increase muscle glycogen by utilising hyperinsulinaemic clamps prior to sports events or during the recovery phases, and increase muscle size by its chalonic action to inhibit protein breakdown. In order to control insulin abuse in equine sports, a method to detect effectively the use of insulins in horses would be required. Besides the readily available human insulin and its synthetic analogues, structurally similar insulins from other species can also be used as doping agents. This study describes a method for the simultaneous detection of bovine, porcine and human insulins, as well as the synthetic analogues Humalog (Lilly) and Novolog (Novo Nordisk) in equine plasma. Insulins were isolated from equine plasma by immunoaffinity purification, followed by centrifugal filtration, and analysed by nano-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Insulin and analogues were detected and confirmed by comparing their retention times and major product ions. All five insulins (human insulin, Humalog, Novolog, bovine insulin and porcine insulin), which are exogenous in the horse, could be detected and confirmed at 0.05ng/mL. This method was successful in confirming the presence of human insulin in plasma collected from horses up to 4h after having been administered a single low dose of recombinant human insulin (Humulin R, Eli Lilly). To our knowledge, this is the first identification of exogenous insulin from post-administration horse plasma samples.
    Journal of Chromatography 06/2008; 1201(2):183-90. · 4.53 Impact Factor
  • Article: Detection of anti-diabetics in equine plasma and urine by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
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    ABSTRACT: Anti-diabetics such as sulfonylurea and thiazolidinedione derivatives are hypoglycemic drugs used for the treatment of diabetes. However, they can also be used as a stopper in horseracing. This paper describes a convenient method for the separation and simultaneous detection of 10 anti-diabetic drugs (namely glipizide, glibenclamide, glimepiride, gliclazide, tolazamide, tolbutamide, nateglinide, repaglinide, rosiglitazone and pioglitazone) in equine plasma and urine by LC-MS-MS. The anti-diabetics were isolated from equine plasma and urine by liquid-liquid extraction with 1,2-dichloroethane at acidic pH, and analysed by LC-MS-MS in the positive electrospray ionisation mode. Separation of 10 anti-diabetic drugs was achieved with a reversed phase C8 column using a mixture of aqueous ammonium formate (pH 3.0, 10 mM) and methanol as the mobile phase. Detection and confirmation of the 10 anti-diabetic drugs at 10 ng/mL each in equine plasma and equine urine were achieved by full-scan MS-MS. All of these drugs were detected consistently at this concentration in spiked samples of different plasma and urine (n = 15 each). No significant matrix interferences were observed at the expected retention times of the targeted ions in blank urine samples (n = 30). This method has been used successfully in the analysis of drug-administration samples as well as official racing samples. An LC-MS-MS method has been developed for the simultaneous detection of 10 anti-diabetics in equine plasma and urine. This method can be used to detect the abuse of anti-diabetic drugs in racehorses.
    Journal of Chromatography B 12/2004; 811(1):65-73. · 2.89 Impact Factor
  • Article: Detection of anti-diabetics in equine plasma and urine by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry
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    ABSTRACT: Aim:Anti-diabetics such as sulfonylurea and thiazolidinedione derivatives are hypoglycemic drugs used for the treatment of diabetes. However, they can also be used as a stopper in horseracing. This paper describes a convenient method for the separation and simultaneous detection of 10 anti-diabetic drugs (namely glipizide, glibenclamide, glimepiride, gliclazide, tolazamide, tolbutamide, nateglinide, repaglinide, rosiglitazone and pioglitazone) in equine plasma and urine by LC–MS-MS. Method: The anti-diabetics were isolated from equine plasma and urine by liquid–liquid extraction with 1,2-dichloroethane at acidic pH, and analysed by LC–MS-MS in the positive electrospray ionisation mode. Separation of 10 anti-diabetic drugs was achieved with a reversed phase C8 column using a mixture of aqueous ammonium formate (pH 3.0, 10 mM) and methanol as the mobile phase. Results: Detection and confirmation of the 10 anti-diabetic drugs at 10 ng/mL each in equine plasma and equine urine were achieved by full-scan MS-MS. All of these drugs were detected consistently at this concentration in spiked samples of different plasma and urine (n = 15 each). No significant matrix interferences were observed at the expected retention times of the targeted ions in blank urine samples (n = 30). This method has been used successfully in the analysis of drug-administration samples as well as official racing samples. Conclusion: An LC–MS-MS method has been developed for the simultaneous detection of 10 anti-diabetics in equine plasma and urine. This method can be used to detect the abuse of anti-diabetic drugs in racehorses.
    Journal of Chromatography B.
  • Article: Doping control analysis of insulin and its analogues in equine plasma by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Insulin administration can increase muscle glycogen by utilising hyperinsulinaemic clamps prior to sports events or during the recovery phases, and increase muscle size by its chalonic action to inhibit protein breakdown. In order to control insulin abuse in equine sports, a method to detect effectively the use of insulins in horses would be required. Besides the readily available human insulin and its synthetic analogues, structurally similar insulins from other species can also be used as doping agents. This study describes a method for the simultaneous detection of bovine, porcine and human insulins, as well as the synthetic analogues Humalog (Lilly) and Novolog (Novo Nordisk) in equine plasma. Insulins were isolated from equine plasma by immunoaffinity purification, followed by centrifugal filtration, and analysed by nano-liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Insulin and analogues were detected and confirmed by comparing their retention times and major product ions. All five insulins (human insulin, Humalog, Novolog, bovine insulin and porcine insulin), which are exogenous in the horse, could be detected and confirmed at 0.05 ng/mL. This method was successful in confirming the presence of human insulin in plasma collected from horses up to 4 h after having been administered a single low dose of recombinant human insulin (Humulin R, Eli Lilly). To our knowledge, this is the first identification of exogenous insulin from post-administration horse plasma samples.
    Journal of Chromatography A.

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Institutions

  • 2008–2012
    • Racing Laboratory of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
      Hong Kong, Hong Kong