Gastão Rosenfeld (July 26, 1912 – July 15, 1990) was a Hungarian-Brazilian physician and biomedical scientist. He is recognized as one of the co-discoverers of bradykinin, alongside Maurício Rocha e Silva and Wilson Teixeira Beraldo, in 1949.
Early Life and Education
Rosenfeld was born in Budapest, Hungary, to a family of Jewish origin. He immigrated to Brazil with his parents in 1913 and graduated in medicine in 1938.
Career
Rosenfeld began dedicating himself to hematology in 1932. In 1945, he joined the Butantan Institute in São Paulo at the invitation of bacteriologist William Otto Bier, then director of the institute. He was tasked with organizing and heading the Laboratory of Hematology and leading its research in experimental hematology. In 1947, he worked at São Paulo's Biological Institute but returned to the Butantan Institute in 1951. In 1954, he became chief physician at the Hospital Vital Brazil, a position he held until 1966. The hospital was a specialized acute care unit for victims of venomous animals.
Rosenfeld conducted extensive research on the biochemistry of snake venom toxins, particularly those of the Bothrops genus (lancehead or jararaca), which is abundant in Brazil. He investigated the effects of this venom on fibrinolysis and blood coagulation. Based on his systematic clinical observations, he produced substantial knowledge on the symptoms and treatment of animal envenomation.
Contributions to Biomedical Sciences
Among Rosenfeld's notable contributions are:
- Rosenfeld staining (1947): A rapid staining method for blood smears combining the May–Grünwald and Giemsa techniques.
- Treatment for chronic leukemia (1955): Introduction of a new approach using personal control of maintenance dosage.
- Hementerin (1975): Description of an anticoagulant isolated from the Brazilian leech species Haementeria depressa, jointly with Eva Maria Antonia Kelen.
Bradykinin Discovery
In 1948, while at the Biological Institute, Rosenfeld co-discovered bradykinin—an endogenous peptide of nine amino acids that causes a powerful drop in blood pressure—together with Maurício Rocha e Silva and Wilson Teixeira Beraldo. The substance was detected in the blood plasma of dogs after the addition of venom from the Bothrops jararaca snake, which Rosenfeld supplied from the Butantan Institute. The discovery was part of ongoing research on circulatory shock and proteolytic enzymes related to snake venom toxicology. Subsequent research by Sérgio Henrique Ferreira and others on the formation of bradykinin in the body ultimately led to the development of anti-hypertensive drugs such as captopril.
Other Activities
Rosenfeld was involved in the foundation of the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science (Sociedade Brasileira para o Progresso da Ciência) in 1949. He was also an accomplished amateur photographer; a portion of his photographic collection from 1962 to 1976 is preserved at the Instituto Moreira Salles.
Death
Gastão Rosenfeld died on July 15, 1990, in São Paulo, Brazil.
