In diabetic patients, impairment of wound healing is a serious problem which represents a significant health burden. The effect of a highly selective beta-3 adrenoceptor agonist, SR58611A, on wound healing was assessed in animal models of type II diabetes. In db/db diabetic mice, a daily oral treatment with SR58611A (1, 3 and 10 mg/kg/day for two weeks) significantly reduced hyperglycaemia from 3 mg/kg/day onwards. The compound also normalized wound healing, starting from the lowest dose tested (1 mg/kg/day). SR58611A did not affect wound healing of control (lean) mice. An oral anti-diabetic agent, devoid of affinity for beta-3 adrenoceptors, troglitazone (130 mg/kg/day p.o.), normalized glycaemia but did not improve wound healing in db/db mice. Local application of SR58611A (200 microg/day in db/db mice) did not affect wound healing. SR58611A also normalized glucose levels in ob/ob mice, but only slightly improved wound healing in this strain. Moreover, in 17-week old db/db mice (i.e. severely insulin resistant) and in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, SR58611A slightly decreased hyperglycaemia and did not affect wound healing. In conclusion, SR58611A improves wound healing in animal models of non-insulin-dependent diabetes. This effect is not related to its effect on glucose levels, but probably implicates systemic effects of the compound.