ISSN 2756-3650
International Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics Vol. 7 (8), pp. 001-006, August, 2018. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Experimental Trypanosoma brucei infection-induced changes in the serum profiles of lipids and cholesterol and the clinical implications in pigs
Adamu, S.1*, Barde, N.1, Abenga, J. N.2, Useh, N.M.1, Ibrahim, N. D. G.1 and Esievo, K. A. N.1
1Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
2Department of Pathology, Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, College, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria.
Accepted 15 March, 2018
Abstract
The possible effects of Trypanosoma brucei (T. brucei) infection on serum levels of some lipids and cholesterol were studied in pigs. The infection with T. brucei caused significant decline in the serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and high density lipoprotein. Mean values of these parameters in the infected group were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those in the control group, in which the values remained relatively unchanged up to the termination of the experiment. However, the infection appeared not to have significant (P > 0.05) effect on serum low density lipoprotein level. Possible pathophysio-logical mechanisms involved in the T. brucei infection-induced lowering of the serum levels of lipids and cholesterol were highlighted just as evidences from literature suggest that the T. brucei infection-induced alterations in the serum levels of the lipids and cholesterol could have far-reaching impli-cations on the clinical manifestation of the disease in affected animals and humans. It is imperative, therefore, to conduct more studies to identify biochemical differences, if any exist, between the trypanosomes and animal hosts in the metabolism of the lipids and cholesterol with the view to exploiting the findings in biotechnological development of drugs or other therapeutic approaches.
Key words: Trypanosomosis, pigs, cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein.