Study on the action of resistin-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell dysfunction

The aim of this paper was to investigate the effects of resistin on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and to explore its role and mechanism of action in atherosclerosis. HUVECs were incubated with recombinant human resistin (0, 50, 100 ng/mL) for 24 h. ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were assayed by flow cytometer. ET-1, eNOS and iNOS mRNA expression were measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Incubation of HUVECs with resistin resulted in an increase in ICAM-1 expression and ET-1 mRNA expression. However, resistin had no effect on VCAM-1 expression and ROS release. eNOS and iNOS mRNA expression were not altered by resistin stimulation. Adipokine resistin exerted a direct effect in promoting HUVEC dysfunction by promoting ICAM-1 and ET-1 expression. These data suggest that adipocyte-endothelium cross-talk might play an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in diabetes mellitus.