ACE2 and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis: Activation of the hepatic renin-angiotensin system favors pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic profiles in mice fed a high fat diet.48 Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) acts as a potent inhibitor of renin-angiotensin system activation.49 Accordingly, the D0 transcript ratio between ACE2 and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE, which activates the renin-angiotensin system) in the liver was dramatically lower in obese NASH hamsters than in lean hamsters (Figure 1f).