Increased circulating adipose factors like leptin and the renin–angiotensin system, which are classically shown to mediate obesity-induced hypertension in rabbits or classically salt-resistant rats (Dobrian et al. 2001; Iwashita et al. 2002; Lim et al. 2013), do not seem to play a role in our HFD model. Here, LEP is linked to obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.