Identification of a novel growth hormone releasing peptide (a glycine analogue of GHRP-2) in a seized injection vial / Magdalena Popławska, Agata Błażewicz. - (Drug Testing and Analysis 11 (2019) 1 (January); p. 162-167)
- PMID: 30051972
- DOI: 10.1002/dta.2467
Abstract
Growth hormone releasing peptides (GHRPs) are synthetic peptides with the ability to stimulate human growth hormone (hGH) secretion. Several GHRPs have been developed as drug candidates; however, only one of them, GHRP-2 (Pralmorelin), has received a clinical approval. Nevertheless, they are distributed on the black market and misused by cheating athletes, due to their performance-enhancing effects. Hence, GHRPs have been included in the World-Anti-Doping-Agency's Prohibited List as forbidden substances in sport. Predominantly, analytical methods for detection and unequivocal identification of doping substances are based on mass spectrometry. Therefore, in the present work, a qualitative analysis by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry with a quadrupole time-of-flight analyzer was performed to identify a new heptapeptide (MW = 874.02 Da) - a glycine analogue of GHRP-2. Structure determination using de novo sequencing is described here in detail. The results of this study may indicate a new approach to circumvent a detection of doping practices.