Local anesthetics were investigated for their effects on mitochondrial electron transport system, production of superoxide radical from submitochondrial particles and malondialdehyde production through lipid per oxidation. Local anesthetics had various effects on activities of enzymes in electron transport chain. The activities of NADH dehydrogenase, NADH oxidase and NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase were effectively inhibited by lidocaine, procaine and dibucaine but slightly influenced by cocaine. The activities of succinate dehydrogenase, succinate-cytochrome c oxidoreductase and succinate-ubiquinone oxidoreductase were inhibited by lidocaine and dibucaine, but the succinate oxidase activity was stimulated by local anesthetics. Both dihydroubiquinone-cytochrome c oxidoreductase and cytochrome c oxidase activities were inhibited by local anesthetics. In these reactions, the response of Complex I segment to local anesthetics was greater than other Complex segments. Local anesthetics inhibited both the superoxide production from submitochondrial particles supplemented with succinate or NADH and the enhanced production of superoxide radicals by antimycin. The malondialdehyde production by oxygen free radicals was inhibited by local anesthetics. These results suggest that the inhibition of superoxide and malondialdehyde production caused by local anesthetics may be brought by suppression of the electron transport in mitochondria at sites in or near complex I segment.