Immunoassay detection of drugs in racing horses. VII. Detection of acepromazine in equine urine and blood by ELISA and PCFIA.
Abstract: We have developed and evaluated a one step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test and a particle concentration fluorescence immunoassay (PCFIA) test for acepromazine as part of a panel of pre- and post-race tests for illegal medications in racing horses. These tests are rapid, sensitive and economical and development of the tests occurred in less than seven months. The ELISA test detects acepromazine with an I-50 of about 150 pg/ml. In vivo, it readily detects the presence of acepromazine or its metabolites in equine blood and urine from 8 to 72 hours or longer, respectively, after administration of sub-therapeutic doses. In vitro, the ELISA test cross-reacts with analogs of acepromazine, suggesting that it will also detect the use of other phenothiazine tranquilizers. The PCFIA test detects acepromazine with an I-50 of about 10 ng/ml. When applied to pre-race screening of serum samples as part of the pre-race testing program at a midwestern racetrack, the PCFIA test detected a number of cases of acepromazine abuse. Screening of stored post-race urine samples from associated horses by the ELISA test 'flagged' numerous samples for acepromazine, suggesting a pattern of acepromazine abuse. To date about twenty of these acepromazine flagged samples have been confirmed positive on mass spectrometry. As such the ELISA and PCFIA tests described in this communication are capable of substantially improving the quality of pre- and post-race testing programs for phenothiazine tranquilizers in racing horses.
Publication Date: 1988-09-01 PubMed ID: 3055110
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Diagnosis
- Diagnostic Technique
- Disease control
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Management
- Disease Treatment
- Doping
- Drug
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Horse Racing
- Horses
- In Vitro Research
- In Vivo
- Laboratory Methods
- Pharmacology
- Veterinary Care
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
Summary
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The researchers developed two rapid tests, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a particle concentration fluorescence immunoassay (PCFIA), to detect illegal use of acepromazine, a tranquilizer, in racing horses. Pre- and post-race testing revealed numerous incidents of acepromazine abuse.
Test Development
- The researchers created two types of tests to detect illegal usage of acepromazine in racing horses. Acepromazine is a type of tranquilizer, and its use is prohibited in racehorses.
- These are a rapid enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, and a particle concentration fluorescence immunoassay (PCFIA) test. The ELISA test can detect this drug at a concentration level of about 30 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml), while the PCFIA test can detect it at a level of approximately 10 ng/ml.
- The development of these tests took under seven months, making them quick, sensitive, and cost-effective methods for detecting the illegal drug use.
Testing and Results
- Both tests were used for pre- and post-race testing of horse urine and blood samples. The samples were tested both in vivo (in the living organism) and in vitro (outside an organism).
- The ELISA test could detect the presence of the drug or its metabolites in the horse’s blood and urine for up to 72 hours after a sub-therapeutic dose.
- Create fFurthermore, the ELISA test also showed cross-reactivity with analogs of acepromazine, indicating the potential to detect other phenothiazine tranquilizers.
- When the PCFIA test was used in a pre-race screening program, numerous cases of acepromazine abuse were detected.
- A similar number of positive cases were found through post-race screenings, with approximately 20 confirmed cases through mass spectrometry.
Conclusion
- These newly developed tests show promising results in combatting illegal drug use in horse racing. They have significantly improved the quality of both pre- and post-race testing programs.
- These developments herald a significant advancement in monitoring the use of performance-enhancing substances in animal sports, leading to fair competitions and better animal welfare.
Cite This Article
APA
Kwiatkowski S, Sturma L, Dai MR, Tai HH, Watt DS, Tai CL, Woods WE, Weckman TJ, Yang JM, Wood T.
(1988).
Immunoassay detection of drugs in racing horses. VII. Detection of acepromazine in equine urine and blood by ELISA and PCFIA.
Res Commun Chem Pathol Pharmacol, 61(3), 391-412.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Lexington, Kentucky.
MeSH Terms
- Acepromazine / blood
- Acepromazine / urine
- Animals
- Doping in Sports
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
- Evaluation Studies as Topic
- Fluorescent Antibody Technique
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
- Horses / blood
- Horses / urine
Citations
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