FIGURE 1.

Starvation of cardiomyocytes results in a reversible reduction in cell size. Rat neonatal cardiomyocytes were incubated in media containing 10% FBS (Fed) (A) or in serum/glucose depleted (Starved) media (B) for 24 h. C, starved cardiomyocytes were then replenished with fed media for 24 h demonstrating reversibility of cell size reduction. D, cardiomyocyte cell size was quantified for fed (black bar), starved (light gray bar), and starved and fed (dark gray bar) cells (n = 200) for three independent experiments. Cardiomyocytes are immunostained with sarcomeric α-actinin (cardiac muscle actinin, green) and To-Pro3 (nucleus, blue). The average cardiomyocyte area in the fed condition is 1128 μm² and starved condition is 565 μm² (at least 200 cells from two independent experiments). Representative cells from each group are indicated with white arrows. Significance (*) was determined by one-way ANOVA (p < 0.05; n = 3).