Among these adipose tissue-derived cytokines, adiponectin was proved to be able to promote vasodilatation and improve endothelial function, whereas some adipokines, such as pro-inflammatory adipokine lipocalin-2, could aggravate obesity-induced endothelial dysfunction and vascular inflammation, and had pleiotropic pathogenic roles in obesity-associated metabolic disorders and hypertension (17, 18). The gene discussed is ADIPOQ; the disease is obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.