Long used as medicine to have a long history in China. In recent years, pharmacological research and clinical application of more extensive, and have achieved encouraging results and progress.

1 Source

Earthworm (also known as worms) to participate in huge earthworm species have Pheretima Pheretima aspergilium (E. Perrier), Pheretima popular Pheretima vulgaris Chen, William Pheretima Pheretima guillelmi (Michaelsen), or blind comb Pheretima Pheretima pectinifera Michalsen dry body. The former are called "Dragon of Canton," after the three Xi said, "Shanghai to Long." pheretima caught from spring to autumn, Shanghai Dragon of the summer capture, timely cut open the abdomen, remove the internal organs and sediment washing net, dried or low temperature in dry place.

2 character identification

Pheretima: elongated article sheets, bent, edge a little volume, length 15 ~ 20 cm, width of 1 ~ 2 cm, all with links back to the purple gray brown, abdomen pale yellow brown, in addition to front and rear ends, the abdomen is cut open, internal organs have been removed or occasionally residual. mouth and anus is visible. germ band was known as "white neck", the male gonopore is also visible, often ranging from broken for the length of the segment. quality of hard and brittle, gas fishy, taste salty to be big, fat-like, not broken, no soil is preferred.

http://eng.hi138.com/?i305685_Progress-in-medicine-and-earthworm

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of the antihypertensive protein from Pheretima on blood pressure, angiotensinⅡ and angiotensin Ⅱ AT1 receptor in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).METHODS: The dynamic change of blood pressure in SHR after singel intravenous injection of antihypertensive protein from Pheretima was observed. After intervention with antihypertensive protein from earthworm for 28 d,the levels of blood pressure, angiotensinⅡ and expression of angiotensin Ⅱ AT1 receptor in SHR were detected. RESULTS: Either single intravenous injecion or multiple dosing of the antihypertensive protein from Pheretima could significantly reduce the blood pressure in SHR (P0.05); the antihypertensive protein from Pheretima could markedly lower the angiotensinⅡ level in plasma (P0.05) and slightly lower the angiotensinⅡ level in tissue of kidney but the difference was nonsignificant (P0.05).The expression of angiotensin Ⅱ AT1 receptor in kidney of SHR model increased significanlty compared the normal control (wistar rats), but decreased after the intervention of the antihypertensive protein from Pheretima.CONCLUSION: The antihypertensive protein from Pheretima has antihypertensive effect on SHR. The mechanism may be related to the reduction of angiotensinⅡ level and lowering of the expression of a angiotensin Ⅱ AT1 receptor in kidney.

http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-ZGYA200824008.htm