Development of a metabonomic approach based on LC-ESI-HRMS measurements for profiling of metabolic changes induced by recombinant equine growth hormone in horse urine.

The study focuses on utilizing LC-ESI-HRMS measurements in a new metabonomic approach for profiling metabolic changes induced by the use of recombinant equine growth hormone (reGH) in horse urine – potentially serving as a new screening tool to detect growth hormone abuse in horseracing.

Objective of the Research

• The main aim of this study is to devise and assess a novel strategy to enhance the detection and screening of recombinant equine growth hormone (reGH) abuse in horseracing. Despite being banned as a growth promoter, reGH is suspected to be used illicitly in horseracing to enhance performances. However, existing analytical methods usually face limitations in detecting it, especially within the first few days of administration. This research targets those limitations by developing a metabonomic approach using LC-ESI-HRMS measurements.

Research Methodology

• The researchers deployed liquid chromatography-electrospray-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-HRMS) to characterize global metabolomic fingerprints in the urine samples of both non-treated and reGH-treated horses. The resulting profiles help track the metabolic changes induced by the growth hormone.
• The method involved a simplified, yet effective, sample preparation of the urine samples and the use of specialized software for data processing and examination. This approach minimized manual effort and facilitated greater accuracy.
• As part of the preliminary work, the researchers evaluated the reproducibility of both the sample preparation and mass spectrometry (MS) measurements to validate the reliability of the proposed method.

Findings and Conclusion

• The developed protocol was applied to two horses and the results showed the method’s suitability for the intended purpose.
• The preliminary results indicated that substantial alterations of the metabolome happened post-treatment with reGH, which the method could successfully identify.
• The researchers conclude by highlighting the potential of this novel metabonomic approach providing a promising new tool for detecting growth hormone abuse in horseracing. It tackles the shortcomings of conventional methods, particularly their inability to detect the hormone during the first few days after application.