Mitochondrial superoxide formation should decrease upon a sudden glucose increase. Schemas depict the basic proton circuit within the inner mitochondrial membrane at low and high glucose, while higher rates, and therefore higher respiration rates, are depicted by thicker arrows. Thus the right schema depicts situation at a sudden glucose intake when state-3 respiration is maximum, as well as ATP synthesis, and hence also backflux through the FO part of ATP synthase. Under these conditions superoxide formation within the respiratory chain complexes I and III is low (depicted by smaller fonts) and should be lower than at low glucose (left schema) at slower coupled respiration rate, where much higher superoxide should be formed (depicted by bigger fonts).
