Simplifying and expanding the screening for peptides <2 kDa by direct urine injection, liquid chromatography, and ion mobility mass spectrometry

Study Summary

This is an analytical chemistry paper from doping-control researchers (German Sport University Cologne and collaborators), not a study of AOD-9604’s biological effects. It does not examine chondrocytes, cartilage, proteoglycan or collagen synthesis. The authors describe a doping-control assay that injects urine directly into a liquid chromatograph followed by ion-mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometry to screen for peptides under 2 kDa on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list: desmopressin, LH-RH, buserelin, triptorelin, leuprolide, GHRP-1 through GHRP-6, alexamorelin, ipamorelin, hexarelin, ARA-290, AOD-9604, TB-500 and anamorelin.

Key Results

• The method gives a facile, specific and sensitive assay for all of the listed peptides
• Limits of detection were between 50 and 500 pg/mL, covering the minimum required performance level of 2 ng/mL
• The assay was precise (imprecision <20%) and linear across the estimated working range of 0 to 10 ng/mL
• Peptide stability in urine was tested, and -20°C was found to be the appropriate storage temperature for sports drug testing
• Proof of concept came from elimination-study urine samples collected from individuals who had been given GHRP-6, GHRP-2 or LHRH

Relevance

The link to AOD-9604 is that it is one of the WADA-prohibited peptides this urine test is designed to detect. For athletes subject to drug testing, that means AOD-9604 is a banned substance that anti-doping labs screen for. The paper provides no evidence on whether AOD-9604 repairs cartilage, affects joints, or causes fat loss, and its real-sample proof of concept did not include AOD-9604.

See Also

• Parent compound: AOD-9604