Usually, the sight of a venomous snake would get your blood pressure up, but the Brazilian pit viper might just help bring it back down. The Brazilian pit viper (Bothrops jararaca) is a species of viper endemic to South America and is an important cause of snakebite in that region. It is the best-known venomous snake in the wealthy and heavily populated areas of south-eastern Brazil, where it was responsible for 52% (3,446 cases) of snakebites between 1902 and 1945, with a 0.7% fatality rate (25 deaths). The venom of this snake creates a drop in blood pressure which makes prey lose consciousness. It can also cause local swelling, petechiae (small red or purple spots caused by bleeding into the skin), bruising and blistering but also bleeding of the gums, haemorrhage and incoagulable blood. All these symptoms sound just as bad as they are and can potentially be fatal. Local tribes use the Brazilian pit vipers venom on their arrow tips to induce blood loss and shock. Based on local knowledge, scientists from the UK and US began looking at the venom, and discovered a compound of interest. It wasnt long before a company used the compound to make a drug. Captopril, the drug, was the first venom-derived drug to obtain approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It effectively turns off one of the bodys main pathways for vein constriction that increases blood pressure. It causes relaxation of the blood vessels, as well as a decreased blood volume, which leads to lower blood pressure and decreased oxygen demand from the heart. It helps treat high blood pressure (hypertension), though it is also prescribed for some types of congestive heart failure and cardiovascular and kidney diseases.
