In both guinea-pig and rat heart, mitochondrial NADH-ubiquinone-reductase and soluble DT-diaphorase accounted for 49-50% and 48-50% of menadione metabolism, respectively. Microsomal NADPH-cytochrome P450-reductase was responsible for less than 1% of menadione reduction. 2. Menadione was a high-affinity substrate for all reductases (Km values from 1 to 10 microM). 3. Marked amounts of O2-. (superoxide anion) were generated as a consequence of cardiac metabolism of menadione. 4. Menadione-induced O2-. generation was about 3-fold higher in guinea-pig than in rat heart. 5. All results were compared with data obtained on guinea-pig and rat liver.