Illicit treatments in cattle and urinary 6beta-hydroxycortisol/cortisol ratio.

Dexamethasone (DXM) is often illegally used as a growth promoter. To identify indirect biomarkers of illicit treatments, the urinary ratio between 6beta-hydroxycortisol (6beta-OHF) and cortisol (F) was measured in urines obtained from bulls experimentally treated per os and intramuscularly (i.m.) with different DXM dosages. Dexamethasone, given per os at low doses elicited an early and lasting significant reduction of 6beta-OHF/F. No significant variations were seen in urines from bulls given DXM intramuscularly. These results suggest 6beta-OHF/F as a rapid, non-invasive, screening test for oral, low-dose, long-term corticosteroid treatment in cattle. Further studies are required to go deep inside the biochemical and molecular events underlying such an effect.