Elimination of Ephedrines in Urine Following Administration of a Sho-seiryu-to Preparation

• Published in: Journal of analytical toxicology Vol. 33; no. 3; pp. 162 - 166
• Main Authors: Chan, Kuei Hui, Hsu, Mei-Chich, Chen, Fu-An, Hsu, Ku-Fu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Niles, IL Oxford University Press 01.04.2009; Preston Publications
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Biotransformation; Central Nervous System Stimulants - pharmacokinetics; Central Nervous System Stimulants - urine; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Doping in Sports; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - administration & dosage; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacokinetics; Ephedra - chemistry; Ephedrine - analogs & derivatives; Ephedrine - pharmacokinetics; Ephedrine - urine; Female; General pharmacology; Half-Life; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phenylpropanolamine - pharmacokinetics; Phenylpropanolamine - urine; Asia; China; Biological fluid; Agonist; Chemical analysis; Ephedrine; β-Adrenergic receptor; Ingestion; Medicinal plant; Alkaloid; Pseudoephedrine; Folk medicine; Vasoconstrictor agent; Quantitative analysis; Human; Urine; Pharmacognosy; Bronchodilator; Elimination; Oral administration; Sympathomimetic; α-Adrenergic receptor; Plant origin; Nasal decongestant; α-Adrenergic receptor agonist; Norepinephrine; Pharmacokinetics
• ISSN: 0146-4760; 1945-2403
• DOI: 10.1093/jat/33.3.162

Sho-seiryu-to is one of the most common Traditional Chinese Medicine preparations for the attenuation of colds. Ephedrae Herba is one of the prescriptions of Sho-seiryu-to. The major ingredients of Ephedrae Herba, ephedrines, are banned substances on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list. The purpose of this study was to investigate the elimination of urinary ephedrines after administering Sho-seiryu-to preparation and to determine the possibility of positive ephedrines test results in urine. Six healthy volunteers took a single 2.5-g dose of concentrated Sho-seiryu-to preparation. All urine was collected for 48 h. The concentrations of urinary ephedrines were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and the elimination half-life of the ephedrines was estimated. The results show that ephedrine and cathine (norpseudoephedrine), the prohibited substances of the WADA, were excreted in the urine after taking a single dose of Sho-seiryu-to preparation. The peak concentration of ephedrine was 3.88 ± 1.87 mg/mL (mean ± SD), which was lower than the WADA permitted value (10 mg/mL). The estimated elimination half-lives of ephedrine, norephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and norpseudoephedrine following administration of this preparation were 5.3 ± 1.2, 4.9 ± 0.9, 4.4 ± 1.0, and 5.4 ± 1.8 h, respectively. This study concluded that the urine would not violate the anti-doping rules after administering a single dose of Sho-seiryu-to preparation. Nevertheless, an applied multiple-dose study upon administering the preparation for three times per day for three days showed a positive urine ephedrine result (13.7 mg/mL). Athletes should be careful when taking more than a single dose of Sho-seiryu-to preparation.