DETERMINATION OF TESTOSTERONE THIOSEMICARBAZONE AND STUDY OF ITS IMMUNOLOGICAL REACTIONS IN URINE BY ADSORPTIVE STRIPPING VOLTAMMETRY

The electroanalytical behavior of testosterone thiosemicarbazone (TT) has been investigated by linear sweep and differential pulse voltammet ry with and without adsorptive preconcentration on a hanging mercury d rop electrode (HMDE). The adsorptive stripping response has been evalu ated with respect to preconcentration time and potential, drop size, s can rate, and other variables. Measurement of a selected reduction wav e enables the determination of TT in the pg L(-1) range, with a detect ion limit of 100 ng L(-1), (10 min preconcentration time). The determi nation can also be carried out in a urine/aqueous NaClO4 (2/8) medium. The immunological interaction of TT with the testosterone specific an tibody can be electrochemically monitored via the decrease in the redu ction wave, as described previously. This property is discussed as a t ool for the determination of testosterone and its specific antibody by competitive immunoassay with amperometric detection in real matrices such as urine.