The Effects of Ephedrine on Lumbriculus variegatus

By Paige Phillips

Introduction/Background

For this study, I have chosen to treat my Lumbriculus variegatus with the popular drug

ephedrine. Ephedrine is best known as a dietary supplement and as an athletic performance

enhancer. It is a central nervous system stimulant used to treat breathing problems, nasal

congestion, and low blood pressure problems. As a sympathomimetic amine, ephedrine

stimulates heart rate and blood flow toward the muscles. Due to increased popularity among

professional athletes, controversy has surrounded the drug in recent years. Also, amphetamines

and methamphetamines, which are components of ephedrine, can be found in the making of the

illegal drug, crystal meth. Ephedrine is a drug that can be abused very easily, and with such

dramatic effects on humans, I thought it would be interesting to see how the worms would react

to it.1

Lumbriculus variegatus, otherwise known as the California black worm, can be very

easily obtained. They function as good model creatures, because they have simple, efficient

vascular systems, in addition to segmented vascular division. For that reason, the results of this

experiment seemed promising. Thus, we could make a more significant conclusion.

I will be exposing my worms to ephedrine to observe any significant changes in their

pulsation rate and regeneration growth. The solution used to treat my worms will be the

independent variable, while the pulsation and growth rates of the worms will be the dependent

variables. My hypothesis is that if I administer the Lumbriculus variegatus with ephedrine, the

pulsation and regeneration rate will rise.

Literary Review

Several studies have been performed to examine the behavior, growth, and reproduction

of Lumbriculus variegatus. One in particular observed Growth and locomotory behavior as the

worms were placed in four different sediment types: fine, coarse, medium, and whole sediments.

The coarse and fine sediments showed the worms having more locomotory activity, along with

greater reproduction and growth rates. This experiment’s objectives were similar to those of our

regeneration and locomotion tests.2

Many tests involving our drug of choice, ephedrine, have also taken place. One study on

neonatal rats was used to examine how ephedrine would affect the neural plasticity of hypoxic

ischemic damage, or HIBD, and also to venture into the working of the molecular mechanics

inside these rats. Sixty rats with HIBD were randomly placed into four separate groups, three

containing different strands of ephedrine, while one remained as a control group. They used the

immunohistochemical method to calculate and show the representation of growth protein and

synaptophysin in these rats. The mean time it took for the ephedrine-treated rats to escape the

water maze was less than that of the control group. However, there was no statistical difference

between the three different types of ephedrine rats. The ephedrine increased memory, learning,

and spatial orientation, but as time elapsed all of those previously mentioned traits began to fall

behind as a result of a long time exposure to the ephedrine. 3

In recent years, the use of Caffeine and Ephedrine for the purpose of athletic performance

enhancement has become very popular among several sportspersons. This may be due to the idea

that the two drugs are more effective when taken together. This article considers each of the
drug’s chemical properties and effects on athletic performance to determine whether a mixture of

caffeine and ephedrine are truly more efficient. 4

Hypothesis

My hypothesis is that if I treat the Lumbriculus variegatus with ephedrine, the pulsation

and regeneration rate will rise.

Methods

My first experiment’s objective is to test how the addition of ephedrine to each worm’s

spring water will affect its pulsation rate. I will begin by producing a diluted treatment solution

of ephedrine. For this particular experiment, I decided to try 1% concentration of ephedrine. My

control group will be in approximately 2.5 milliliters of spring water, while my treatment group

will be in approximately .5 milliliters of the ephedrine solution. Each group will contain eight

worms, each in a separate well.

For the first trial, I will observe pulsations after the worms have been placed in each well

for 10 minutes, then for 20 minutes in the second trial. I can then count pulsations per minute by

placing each worm, one-by-one, under a microscope. Measurements and observations must be

recorded. With this data I can now calculate the mean and standard deviation, and perform a T-

test for both the control and treatment groups.

For my second experiment, I will be testing the regeneration rate of the worms. My Control

group consists of 20 worms cut into roughly 7-8 segments. They will be placed in 2.5 mL of

spring water. I will be concocting 2 treatments for this study. For the first treatment, 20 cut

worms will be placed into 2.5 mL of 1% Ephedrine solution. For the second treatment, 20 cut
worms will be placed in 2.5 mL of .1% Ephedrine solution. After placing each cut worm into the

appropriate solution, I will put them in a dark, enclosed area, and leave them there for one week.

After one week has passed, I will remove each worm one-by-one from their assigned wells,

count the newly grown segments, and record the data. With this data, I can then calculate the

mean and standard deviation, and perform a T-test.

Timeline

Wednesday, June 18: Prepare for pulsation rate experiment by practicing counting pulsations

under a microscope.

Wednesday, June 25: Perform pulsation rate experiment. Record and analyze data.

Wednesday, July 2: Begin regeneration experiment.

Wednesday, July 9: Finish regeneration experiment. Record and analyze data

Discussion/Problems

I am using ephedrine to examine the effects it will have on the California black worm’s

pulsation and regeneration rate. Before conducting my research, I knew very little about

ephedrine. My knowledge of the drug has been limited to what I can find on the internet and in

articles. I unfortunately do not have any knowledge of any other ephedrine testing on

invertebrates. Therefore, I will not be able to compare results with a similar experiment. The

experiment itself also has a few limitations. The amount of ephedrine I use during the experiment

depends on the amount available. The concentration of ephedrine for each solution is a matter of

estimation, given that there is no way to directly convert a human dosage of ephedrine to one fit

for a worm.
Working Bibliography

Ephedrine- Oral Side Effects, Medical Uses, and Drug Interactions." MedicineNet. 2007. 11 July

2008. <http://www.medicinenet.com/ephedrine-oral/article.htm>.

Sardo, Soares, Gerhardt. “Behavior, Growth, and Reproduction of Lumbriculus Variegatus

(Oligochaetae) in Different Sediment Types”. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, 13: 519-

526, 2007.

Magkos, F, and S A. Kavouras. "Caffeine and Ephedrine: Physiological, Metabolic and

Performance-Enhancing Effects." Sports Medicine 34 (2004): 871-889. Medline. EBSCOhost.

WVU Libraries, Morgantown, WV. 1 July 2008.

<http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=108&sid=a6102fc8-f83b-4c31-b681-

449c0e1f6338%40sessionmgr107>.

Xiao, Nong, Shizhi Li, Xiaoping Zhang, and Siyuan Chen. "Effect of Ephedrine on Neuronal

Plasticity of Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Damage in Neonatal Rats." Neuroscience Letters 435

(2008): 99-102. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. WVU Library, Morgantown. 27 June 2008.

Keyword: Ephedrine.
1
Ephedrine- oral side effects, medical uses, and drug interactions. Available from:
www.google.com. [search engine]MedicineNet. 2007. Available from:
<http://www.medicinenet.com/ephedrine-oral/article.htm>. Accessed 2008 July 11.
2

Sardo, Soares, Gerhardt. Behavior, growth, and reproduction of Lumbriculus variegatus

(oligochaetae) in different sediment types”. Human and ecological risk assessment, 13:
519- 526, 2007. Available from: Ebscohost [online database] www.ebscohost.com.
Accessed 2008 July 11.

3
Xiao, Nong, Shizhi Li, Xiaoping Zhang, and Siyuan Chen. Effect of ephedrine on neuronal
plasticity of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in neonatal rats. Neuroscience letters
2008;(435): 99-102. Available from: Academic Search Premier. [online database]
www.ebscohost.com. Accessed 2008 June 27.

4
Magkos, F, and S A. Kavouras. Caffeine and ephedrine: physiological, metabolic and
performance-enhancing effects. Sports Medicine 2004;(34):871-889. Available from:
Medline.[online database]
<http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=108&sid=a6102fc8-f83b-4c31-b681-
449c0e1f6338%40sessionmgr107>. Accessed 2008 July 1.