Ground Dragon

Various earthworms contain lumbrofebrine, lumbricine, and lumbritin. Earthworms also contain nitrogenous substances such as amino acids—alanine, valine, leucine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, lysine—as well as xanthine, adenine, choline, and guanidine.

1. Hypotensive effect: Guang earthworm tincture, dry-powder suspension, hot infusion, decoction, etc. all show a slow and persistent hypotensive effect in anesthetized dogs, rats, cats, and chronic renal hypertensive rats. 2. Effect on smooth muscle: A nitrogen-containing active component extracted from Guang earthworm has a marked bronchodilating effect on rat and rabbit lung perfusion, and antagonizes the bronchoconstrictive effects of histamine and pilocarpine; in guinea pigs given intravenously, 50% tolerate a lethal dose of histamine. 3. Antipyretic effect: Earthworm aqueous infusion and lumbrofebrine both have a good antipyretic effect on rabbits with artificial fever induced by Escherichia coli toxin or warm needling.

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