Aim To investigate whether antioxidants probucol, vitamin E and vitamin C modulate expression of endothelial cell adhesion molecules through regulating NF-κB activation. Methods The adhesion of HL60 cell on endothelial cells was measured with adhesion assay in a flow chamber. The effects of the antioxidative substances probucol, vitamin E and vitamin C on the expression of endothelial cell adhesion molecules were measured with cell-ELISA. The activation of NF-κB in endothelial cells was investigated in a gel shift assay. Results In TNFα-activated HUVEC, an increase in p65 and p50, a significantly increased expression of E-selectin (3.5 times), and a significantly increased HL60 cell adhesion to HUVECs (4～26 times) were detected. PDTC inhibited these increases. The half-maximal inhibition of PDTC on E-selectin expression and adhesion of HL60 to HUVEC induced by TNFα was at 18 μmol/L and 52 μmol/L, respectively. Probucol, vitamin E and vitamin C showed no effect on TNFα-induced E-selectin expression in endothelialcells, no influence on HL60-endothelial cell adhesion as well as the TNFα-induced activation of NF-κB in endothelial cells. Conclusions These antioxidants could not inhibit adhesion molecule expression.