ACE2 and atherosclerosis: Cts may act as an anti-atherogenic and anti-inflammatory peptide that reduces leukocyte-endothelium interaction by activating angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 and suppressing tumor necrosis factor-α-elicited expression of inflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules (19); development of atherosclerosis was attenuated by Cts treatment in apolipoprotein E knockout mice fed a high-fat diet (a mouse model of atherosclerosis) (19) (Figure 1).