A Novel Reverse Phase HPLC Method to Separate and Quantify Androstenedione and Its Stereospecific Hydroxyaromatic Derivatives

Abstract Reverse - phase High Pressure Liquid Chromatography with a gradient elution on a LiChrocart 250-4 LiChrospher 100 RP-18 column has been used to separate and quantify 7 α-hydroxyandrostenedione (7α-OHA), 6β-hydroxyandrostenedione (6β- OHA), 16α-hydroxyandrostenedione (16α - OHA), 2 β - hydroxyandrostenedione (2 β - OHA), testosterone (T) and androstenedione (A). These steroids are the major products of androstenedione hydroxylation by adult rat liver microsomes. Separation was achieved in 30 minutes by using a linear gradient of acetonitrile (CH3CN) and water in increasing amounts from 30% to 60% of the first solvent (CH3CN). This new method compares very favourable with other methods already reported for studying microsomal hydroxylations of androstenedione in different positions of the steroidal skeleton.