Simultaneous quantification of steroid hormones and endocannabinoids (ECs) in human hair using an automated supported liquid extraction (SLE) and LC-MS/MS – Insights into EC baseline values and correlation to steroid concentrations

Endogenous steroid hormones and endocannabinoids (ECs) are important regulators in the stress response of human body. For measurement chronic stress, hair analysis has been established as method choice for long-term retrospective determination endogenous markers. A sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) quantification five (cortisone, cortisol, androstenedione, testosterone, progesterone) four (anandamide, palmitoylethanolamide, 2-arachidonylglycerol, oleoylethanolamide) was developed validated. The samples were extracted with methanol cleaned up a fully automated supported extraction (SLE) before analysis. Special attention paid to difficulties accompanying analytes hair. Five different strategies compound (surrogate analyte, standard addition, background correction, stripped matrix solvent calibration) tested compared. As result, approach surrogate analyte used whereas correction endocannabinoids. 58 from healthy young adults allowed insights into endocannabinoid ranges correlation hormones. No significant differences EC concentration levels male female found, except testosterone (p < 0.001) androstenedione 0.0001). Cortisol cortisone concentrations significantly positively correlated. There intercorrelations between