Objective: To investigate the effects of rosiglitazone, a synthetic ligand of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), on the expression of acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase-1 (ACAT-1) in phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-pretreated THP-1 cells after the inducement of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Methods: After THP-1 cells were cultured in the presence of 0.1 umol/L PMA for 72 h to induce phagocytic differentiation, the obtained THP-1 macrophages were treated with rosiglitazone for 4 h at different concentrations (1,5 or 10 μmol/L) and then exposed to AGEs-modified bovine serum albumin (AGEs-BSA) for 24 h at a concentration of 200 mg/L. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and West blot analysis were performed to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of ACAT-1 respectively. Results: Administration of AGEs-BSA (200 mg/L) into the THP-1 macrophages resulted in up-regulation of ACAT-1 at mRNA and protein levels when compared with the expressions in macrophages incubated with serum-free RPM11640. Pretreatment of rosiglitazone inhibited significantly the increased expression of ACAT-1 induced by AGEs-BSA in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusion: PPARγ activation by rosiglitazone down-regulates ACAT-1 expression induced by AGEs in THP-1 macrophages, which might provide a new way for treating atherogenesis in diabetic patients.