Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) is a member of the large nuclear receptor superfamily. Its main role is to activate genes involved in fatty acid oxidation in the liver, heart, kidney and skeletal muscle. While they are mainly used as hypolipidemic agents, PPARalpha agonists may also be postulated to exhibit renoprotective effects. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the effects of PPARalpha agonists on the kidney.