The aim of the present study was to assess the contribution of peroxynitrite formation in the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury (SCI) in mice. To this purpose, we used a peroxynitrite decomposition catalyst, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrinato iron III chloride (FeTSPP). Spinal cord trauma was induced by the application of vascular clips (force of 24g) to the dura via a four-level T5-T8 laminectomy. SCI in mice resulted in severe trauma characterized by edema, neutrophil infiltration, production of inflammatory mediators, tissue damage, and apoptosis. FeTSPP treatment (10-100 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced in dose-dependent manner 1 and 4 h after the SCI (1) the degree of spinal cord inflammation and tissue injury (histological score), (2) neutrophil infiltration (myeloperoxidase activity), (3) nitrotyrosine formation and poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase activation, (4) proinflammmaory cytokines expression, (5) NF-kappaB activation, and (6) apoptosis (TUNEL staining, Bax and Bcl-2 expression). Moreover, FeTSPP significantly ameliorated the recovery of limb function (evaluated by motor recovery score) in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, our results clearly demonstrate that FeTSPP treatment reduces the development of inflammation and tissue injury associated with spinal cord trauma similarly to dexamethasone, a well-known antiinflammatory agent which we have used as positive control.