Mesangial cell (MC) proliferation is a key feature in the pathogenesis of a number of renal diseases. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-␥ (PPAR␥) has attracted considerable attention for its effects on stimulating cell differentiation and on inducing cell cycle arrest. We previously showed that aldosterone (Aldo) stimulates MC proliferation via the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway, which was dependent on reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) transactivation (Huang S, Zhang A, Ding G, and Chen R. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 296: F1323-F1333, 2009). In this study, we examined whether the PPAR␥ agonist rosiglitazone inhibited Aldo-induced MC proliferation by modulating ROS-dependent EGFR intracellular signaling. Rosiglitazone at 1-10 M dose dependently inhibited Aldo-induced MC proliferation of cultured mouse MCs. The inhibitory effect was blocked by the PPAR␥ antagonist PD-68235, indicating that the rosiglitazone effect acted through PPAR␥ activation. Rosiglitazone also arrested Aldo-induced cell cycle progression and suppressed expression of cyclins D1 and A. Moreover, rosiglitazone dose dependently blocked Aldo-induced ROS production, EGFR phosphorylation, and PI3K/Akt activation. These results suggest that the PPAR␥ agonist rosiglitazone may inhibit Aldo-induced MC proliferation directly, by affecting ROS/EGFR/ PI3K/Akt signaling pathways and cell cycle-regulatory proteins. PPAR␥ might be a novel therapeutic target against glomerular diseases.peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-␥; glomerular disease MESANGIAL CELLS (MCs) are resident cells of the glomerulus that are important for maintaining structure and function. Abnormal growth of glomerular MCs is a predominant histological feature of several glomerular diseases, and growth regulation may influence the outcome of glomerulonephritis (13,30,37). Elucidating the mechanisms of MC proliferation may contribute to the development of effective treatment strategies for glomerular diseases. However, the stimulation of MC proliferation in response to glomerular injury has been attributed to multiple factors, hindering our understanding of the molecular basis of this process (23,24,28,43).Recently, attention has focused on the role of aldosterone (Aldo) in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease (1,14,16,38). As an important mediator of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, plasma and tissue Aldo are elevated in diabetic and other Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: