Resistin has also been shown to have direct effects on endothelial cell activation by inducing the expression of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and the cell adhesion molecules VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 [19, 20], and resistin's secretion by the atherosclerotic macrophages could promote atherosclerosis in humans [21]. This evidence concerns the gene EDN1 and atherosclerosis.