Histomorphometric analysis (Figure 5A), WGA (Figure 5B, 5E) and picrosirius red staining (Figure 5C) and echocardio-graphic assessment (Figure 5D) revealed greater cardiac hypertrophy, increased myocardial fibrosis and impaired systolic function in ACE2-deficient rats characterized with decreases in left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF; Figure 5I) and LV fractional shortening (LVFS; Figure 5J). This evidence concerns the gene ACE2 and cardiac hypertrophy.