Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1)-directed transendothelial migration of monocytes plays a key role in the development of inflammatory diseases. Infiltration of tissues by monocytes requires degradation of extracellular matrices, a process that involves matrix metalloproteinases. We studied the effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ, α, and retinoid X receptor α (RXRα) ligands on MCP-1-directed migration and matrix metalloproteinase expression of a human acute monocytic leukemia cell line (THP-1). PPARγ ligands attenuated MCP-1-induced migration, with 50% inhibition (IC₅₀) at 2.8 μM for troglitazone and 4.8 μM for rosiglitazone. PPARα ligands WY-14643 (IC₅₀: 0.9 μM) and 5,8,11,14-eicosatetranoic acid (IC₅₀: 9.9 μM), and the potent RXRα ligand AGN 4204 (IC₅₀: 3.6 nM) also blocked monocyte migration. Troglitazone, rosiglitazone, or AGN 4204 inhibited phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression. PPARα activators WY-14643 and 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid, however, had no inhibitory effect. AGN 4204 increased PMA-induced tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) expression, whereas all PPAR ligands showed no effect. All PPAR and RXRα ligands blocked chemotaxis of THP-1 monocytes in the absence of a matrix barrier. This study demonstrates that activated PPARs and RXRα, block MCP-1-directed monocyte migration, mediated, at least in part, through their effects on matrix metalloproteinase-9 or TIMP-1 production, or chemotaxis.