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Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Simultaneous Measurement of Superoxide/Hydrogen Peroxide and NADH Production by Flavin-containing Mitochondrial Dehydrogenases
Published on: February 24, 2018
Dissociation of superoxide production by mitochondrial complex I from NAD(P)H redox state
Adrian J Lambert1, Julie A Buckingham, Martin D Brand
1MRC Dunn Human Nutrition Unit, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK. adrian.lambert@mrc-dunn.cam.ac.uk
Abstract:
The relationship between the rate of superoxide production by complex I and NAD(P)H redox state was investigated in rat skeletal muscle mitochondria. A high rate of superoxide production was observed during succinate oxidation; the rate during pyruvate oxidation was over fourfold lower. However, the NAD(P)H pool was significantly less reduced during succinate oxidation than during pyruvate oxidation. We conclude that there is no unique relationship between superoxide production by complex I and the reduction state of the NAD(P)H pool. Our data suggest that less than 10% of the superoxide originates from the flavin site during reverse electron transport from succinate.
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