Obesity complicated with hypertension is associated with changes in cardiac structure and function.35 Cardiac hypertrophy represents an initial compensatory response of the heart to increased hemodynamic load, and direct activation of GR signaling in cardiomyocytes may promote pathological cardiac hypertrophy.36, 37 The effects of cold stress and RU486 on cardiac hypertrophy in the present study support this scenario. This evidence concerns the gene NR3C1 and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.