Short-time glucose exposure of embryonic carcinoma cells impairs their function as terminally differentiated cardiomyocytes

► A metabolic programming of ECC changes their cardio-physiological phenotype. ► The programming can be induced by a transient exposure to hyper- and hypoglycemia. ► Programming is not caused by a transcriptional regulation of metabolic target genes. ► Programming is not induced by changes in DNA methylation. ► ECC differentiation evidence a glucose-sensitive programming of cardiomyogenesis.