Metabolic priming alters the morphology and metabolism of Human Dermal Fibroblasts

This study explores how changes in glucose availability in the culture medium affect the metabolism and morphology of Normal Human Dermal Fibroblasts (NHDFs). By shifting cells from high-glucose to low-glucose or glucose-free, galactose-containing media, we investigated metabolic and structural adaptations. Using NMR spectroscopy, we confirmed glucose absence and observed increased oxidative metabolism, elevated protein content, and mitochondrial remodeling in glucose-free conditions. The antioxidant NAC mitigated these effects, suggesting a role for redox signaling. Findings emphasize the impact of metabolic environment on cell function and the need for careful normalization in metabolic assays.