ANPEP and atherosclerosis: Transplantation of PVAT from the abdominal aorta of mice that were fed a high-fat diet promoted inflammation (increased expression of TNF-α and MCP-1; decreased expression of APN), endothelial dysfunction, and atherosclerosis in thoracic aorta, suggesting that enhanced inflammation is the potential mechanism by which PVAT exhibits a distal vascular effect (18).