Determination of testosterone propionate in human plasma by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

A specific, sensitive and accurate quantitative analysis of testosterone propionate in human plasma was developed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-selected-ion monitoring. For the calculation of testosterone propionate in plasma, peak height ratios were measured by selected-ion monitoring performed on the molecular ions of the trifluoroacetyl derivative of testosterone propionate (m/z 440) and testosterone propionate-19,19,19-d3 (m/z 443). The sensitivity of the method was judged from the lower limit of the detection of the mass spectrometer which was at 20 pg. The inter-assay coefficients of variation and relative error at a concentration of 1.31 ng/ml of plasma were 5.47% and -2.3%, respectively. The method described was applied to the determination of plasma concentrations of testosterone propionate-19,19,19-d3 following an intramuscular dose of testosterone propionate-19,19,19-d3 in a healthy male volunteer.