Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medical Research

Background: Bordetella pertussis is the causative organism of an acute human respiratory tract disease known as pertussis – an endemic disease globally with reported cases in both developing and developed countries. This study evaluated the hypo-lipidaemic and histological effects of the crab specie Cardisoma guanhumi extracts on bordetela pertussis infected Swiss mice.

Methods: One hundred and twenty-two (122) animals were divided into five groups in the study. Groups 1 and 2 were the normal and negative controls respectively, while groups 3 and 4 received (300mg/kg and 600mg/kg) of the extract and group 5 received 4000mg/70kg (57.14 mg/kg) of erythromycin. Blood and kidney samples were collected on days 0, 6, 12 and 18for lipid profile analysis and kidney histological examination.

Results: The result shows that Animals exposed to B. pertussis inoculum dose (5.0x10⁵cfu/ml) without treatment caused a decrease in the plasma level of high density lipo-protein cholesterol (HDL) and an increase in the plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipo-protein cholesterol (LDL). However, treatment with Cardisoma guanhumi extract reversed the observed effect thereby producing a gradual increase in HDL levels and decrease in triglycerides, cholesterol and LDL levels with no adverse effect on the kidney histology.

Conclusion: The study reveals significant lipid profile alterations caused by B. pertussis infection in Swiss mice, highlights the potential lipid-lowering effects of Cardisoma guanhumi extract, and indicates the absence of apparent kidney damage from the infection.