Increasing evidence indicates that the melanocortin system is not only a central player in energy homeostasis, food intake and glucose level regulation, but also in the modulation of cardiovascular functions, such as blood pressure and heart rate. The melanocortins, and in particular α- and γ-MSH, have been shown to exert their cardiovascular activity both at the central nervous system level and at the periphery (e.g. in the adrenal gland), binding their receptors MC3R and MC4R and influencing t...