Isolated Mouse Adult Cardiomyocytes Display Minimal Mitochondrial ATP Demand and Maximal Reliance on Glycolysis

Abstract

Mitochondrial maladaptation is a hallmark of heart failure, contributing to impaired energy production and contractile dysfunction. Understanding the bioenergetics of cardiomyocytes under healthy and pathological conditions is critical for characterizing mitochondrial maladaptation. While adult cardiomyocytes from rodents are a widely used model, recent studies have reported oligomycin insensitivity in these cells, a phenomenon often overlooked. This has led to incomplete assessments of key bioenergetic parameters, such as ATP-linked respiration and glycolytic capacity, focusing primarily on basal and maximal respiration. In this study, we performed a comprehensive characterization of bioenergetic and glycolytic profiles in three cardiomyocyte models: neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs), human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs), and mouse adult cardiomyocytes (mouse ACMs). Our findings demonstrate distinct metabolic adaptations in mouse ACMs, revealing critical insights into mitochondrial function, ATP demand, and glycolytic reliance. These results underscore the importance of selecting appropriate cellular models for studying mitochondrial bioenergetics in cardiac physiology and pathology.