Figure 1.

Acidosis promotes the survival of lung cancer cells under low-glucose conditions. A549 (A, E, and F), H1299 (B), PC3 (C), and H1975 cells (D) were grown to confluence, serum-starved, and then incubated for the indicated time periods in medium containing different glucose concentrations in the presence or absence of glutamine or etomoxir, a carnitine palmitoyltransferase1A inhibitor that blocks fatty acid oxidation. Cell survival was assessed by Hoechst 33,342 DNA quantification (A-B and F) or lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assays (E). ∗P < 0.05 and ∗∗P < 0.01 by two-tailed unpaired t tests (n = 6–8). Glc, glucose; Glt, glutamine; Eto, etomoxir.