This protective effect of SMC-MR deletion corresponded with generally anti-inflammatory shifts in cardiac cytokines in obese, versus lean, SMC-MR knockout mice and prevention of obesity-associated upregulation of the pro-inflammatory SMC-MR target Pgf. Similar prevention of cardiac inflammation by SMC-MR deletion, including prevention of cardiac Pgf upregulation, was recently reported in male mice subjected to cardiac pressure overload [35]. Here, NR3C2 is linked to obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.