Metabolism of stanozolol: identification and synthesis of urinary metabolites

Abstract

Urinary metabolites of stanozolol (17 alpha-methyl-17 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-androst-2-eno(3,2-c)-pyrazole) following oral administration were isolated by chromatography on XAD-2 and by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with electron impact (EI)-ionisation. Stanozolol is excreted as a conjugate but is metabolized to a large extent. All identified metabolites are hydroxylated, namely at C-3' of the pyrazole ring and at C-4 beta, C-16 alpha and C-16 beta of the steroid. Less than 5% of the metabolites are found in the unconjugated urine fraction: 3'-hydroxy-stanozolol (II) and 3'-hydroxy-17-epistanozolol (III). Conjugated excreted metabolites are 3'-hydroxystanozolol (II), stanozolol (I), 4 beta-hydroxy-stanozolol (IV), 16 beta-hydroxystanozolol (V), 16 alpha-hydroxystanozolol (VI), two isomers of 3',16-dihydroxystanozolol (VII, VIII), two isomers of 4 beta, 16-dihydroxystanozolol (IX, X) and a 3',?-dihydroxystanozolol (XI). 3'-Hydroxystanozolol, 4 alpha-hydroxystanozolol, 4 beta-hydroxystanozolol, 16 alpha-hydroxy-, 16 alpha-hydroxy-17-epi- and 16 beta-hydroxystanozolol were synthesised to confirm the structural assignment of the main metabolites.