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Endothelin‐1 (ET‐1), an endothelium‐derived vasoactive peptide, participates in the regulation of endothelial function through mechanisms that are not fully elucidated. This study examined the impact of ET‐1 on oxidative stress, apoptosis and cell proliferation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). HUVECs were challenged for 24 h with ET‐1 (10 pM–10 nM) in the absence or presence of the ET_B receptor antagonist BQ788 (1 μM) or the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin (1 μM). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected using chloromethyl‐2′,7′‐dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate. Apoptosis was evaluated with 4′,6′‐diamidino‐2′‐phenylindoladihydrochloride staining and by the caspase‐3 assay. Cell proliferation was measured by a colorimetric assay. Expression of NADPH oxidase, Akt, pAkt, Bcl‐2, Bax, IκB, caveolin‐1 and eNOS was evaluated by Western blot analysis.