Spiny mouse fibroblasts prefer glycolysis and resist oxidative stress across lifespan

Researchers examined primary ear pinna fibroblasts from spiny mice, rabbits, laboratory mice, and rats to evaluate metabolic features linked to tissue regeneration. Fibroblasts from spiny mice and rabbits showed a baseline preference for glycolysis that supported lower production of reactive oxygen species. Mitochondria in spiny mouse fibroblasts were depolarized, displayed low respiration rates, and held a distinct large, spherical shape. This spherical mitochondrial shape persisted across lifespan in fibroblasts collected from fetal, young, and old spiny mice, and cells from all three age groups resisted oxidative stress. Additionally, isolated fibroblasts from both spiny mice and rabbits shared lower oxygen consumption efficiency compared to cells from standard laboratory mice and rats.