Accordingly, our findings that plasma levels of this peptide were decreased in obese rats point to a possible shift towards decreased activity of the ACE2/Ang-(1–7)/Mas receptor axis and increased ACE/Ang II/AT1R axis in mesenteric arteries as a causal mechanism for vascular dysfunction in obesity. The gene discussed is ACE2; the disease is obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.