DOSE-DEPENDENCY OF EARTHWORM POWDER ON ANTITHROMBOTIC AND FIBRINOLYTIC EFFECTS

The freeze-dried powder of Lumbricus rubellus earthworm was administer ed orally to rats and its fibrinolytic and antithrombotic effects were investigated. The fibrinolytic activity of plasma was determined by m easuring the plasmin activity of the euglobulin fraction and was incre ased to two-folds of the control at a dose of 0.5 g/kg/day and five ti mes with 1 g/kg/day after 4-day administration. The antithrombotic eff ect was studied in an arterio-venous shunt model of rats. The thrombus weight decreased significantly from 43.2 mg to 32.4 mg at a dose of 0 .5 g/kg/day after 8-day treatment. The level of fibrinogen/fibrin degr adation product (FDP) in serum was elevated in a dose-dependent manner during the treatment period. On the 8th day after administration, the FDP value was increased to 7.7 mu g/ml compared with the control valu e of 3.3 mu g/ml. These results support that earthworm powder is valua ble for the prevention and/or treatment of thrombotic conditions.