Electric field effects on absorption and fluorescence spectra have been investigated for NADH that is a representative autofluorescent chromophore in cells. The change in electric dipole moment following absorption is significant in the electroabsorption spectrum, indicating charge transfer character in the excited state. The fluorescence intensity decreases in the presence of an electric field, which arises from the field-induced increase in the rate of the non-radiative process. The blue shift of the fluorescence spectrum and the increase in the fluorescence lifetime of NADH are measured in yeast cells, which is discussed in terms of a local electric field around NADH. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.