Ablation of Npr1 also enhances the expression and activation of transcription factors, NF-κB and activating protein-1 (AP-1), which seem to be associated with cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and extracellular matrix remodeling (Vellaichamy et al., 2005a, 2007, 2014). Here, NPR1 is linked to cardiac hypertrophy.