Topical application of the nitric oxide (NO) donor S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) is known to exert beneficial effects on wound healing. The aim of this study was to evaluate, for the first time, the effect of topical application of GSNO on the healing of ischaemic wounds. Wistar rats were submitted to two parallels incisions on their backs; the skin was separated from the underlying tissue, the incisions were sutured and an excisional wound was made between the parallel incisions to create an ischaemic condition surrounding the wound. The animals were separated into a control group, which received a hydrogel vehicle without GSNO, and a GSNO-treated group, which received a GSNO-containing hydrogel. The animals were treated for 7 days consecutively with one daily application. The GSNO-treated group displayed higher rates of wound contraction and re-epithelization, lower amounts of inflammatory cells, an increase in collagen fibre density and organization and a decrease in the neovascularization compared to control. These results show that topical application of GSNO is effective in the treatment of ischaemic wounds, leading to a significant improvement in the wound healing. Therefore, topical GSNO-containing hydrogels have potential for the therapeutic treatment of ischaemic diabetic and venous ulcers. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.