These data, together with the data on leptin discussed above, suggest that NSY-Chr 14 affects adipocytokine level through changes in fat-pad weight, as is observed in human obesity, while the genetic background of NSY mice outside Chr 14 causes abnormality of adipocytokine regulation in that leptin level is shifted toward a lower level relative to fat-pad weight and the correlation between adiponectin level and fat-pad weight is completely lost. The gene discussed is ADIPOQ; the disease is obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.