Several studies have found that the protein and mRNA abundance, as well as the activity of ACE2, are reduced in the kidneys of experimental models of hypertension, including spontaneously hypertensive rats, renin transgenic hypertensive rats, aldosterone/NaCl-induced hypertension and the model of 2 kidneys 1 clip (2K1C) hypertensive rats (Soler et al., 2013). This evidence concerns the gene REN and hypertensive disorder.