ACE Inhibitors, RAAS Physiology, and Snake Venom: Renin, Angiotensin, and Kidney Blood Pressure Control

From grinding up kidneys and injecting the extracts into animals to the famous Goldblatt clamp experiment, we trace decades of bold science that uncovered the body's most elaborate blood pressure system piece by piece. In part one of a two-part story, we follow the kidney's rise from simple filter to master regulator — through the discovery of renin, the bitter 17-year naming rivalry between Buenos Aires and Cleveland, and the identification of the enzyme that activates it all. Along the way, we encounter a Brazilian pit viper whose venom holds a molecular clue to one of modern medicine's greatest breakthroughs.

Chapters

• (00:00:00) - ACE Inhibitors: A Two-Part Story Begins
• (00:01:00) - Catching Up: Hypertension, Early Treatments, and Accidental Drugs
• (00:02:35) - What Is an ACE Inhibitor?
• (00:03:27) - Step-by-Step RAAS: Renin → Angiotensin → Aldosterone
• (00:05:43) - Enter the Brazilian Pit Viper: Venom and Hypotension
• (00:07:45) - Dr. Richard Bright and the Kidney–Heart Connection
• (00:09:13) - Tigerstedt and the Discovery of Renin
• (00:10:27) - Wild Inspiration: Brown-Séquard’s Influence
• (00:11:36) - Rabbit Kidney Extracts and a Pressor Substance
• (00:13:52) - Goldblatt’s Clip: Renal Ischemia Causes Hypertension
• (00:16:45) - Buenos Aires Group: What Is the Kidney Secreting?
• (00:19:00) - Hypertensin vs. Angiotonin: Two Names, One Substance
• (00:22:09) - Dr. Skeggs: Angiotensin I vs II
• (00:23:30) - Sodium Chloride and the Hint of ACE
• (00:24:05) - Recap and Tease for Part Two