Atherosclerosis in HAD rats was characterized by marked increases in aortic monocyte chemotactic factor-1 (MCP-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) mRNA compared with the ND group, according to real-time PCR. This evidence concerns the gene CCL2 and atherosclerosis.