Multiomics analyses reveal adipose-derived stem cells inhibit the inflammatory response of M1-like macrophages through secreting lactate

Background: Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are widely used in the field of regenerative medicine because of their various functions, including anti-inflammatory effects. ADSCs are considered to exert their anti-inflammatory effects by secreting anti-inflammatory cytokines and extracellular vesicles. Although recent studies have reported that metabolites have a variety of physiological activities, whether those secreted by ADSCs have anti-inflammatory properties remains unclear. Here, we performed multiomics analyses to examine the effect of ADSC-derived metabolites on M1-like macrophages, which play an important role in inflammatory responses.

Methods: The concentration of metabolites in the culture supernatant of ADSCs was quantified using capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry. To evaluate their effects on inflammatory responses, M1-like macrophages were exposed to the conditioned ADSC medium or their metabolites, and RNA sequencing was used to detect gene expression changes. Immunoblotting was performed to examine how the metabolite suppresses inflammatory processes. To clarify the contribution of the metabolite in the conditioned medium to its anti-inflammatory effects, metabolite uptake was pharmacologically inhibited, and gene expression and the tumor necrosis factor-α concentration were measured by quantitative PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively.

Results: Metabolomic analysis showed large amounts of lactate in the culture supernatant. The conditioned medium and lactate significantly suppressed or increased the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory gene expressions. However, sequencing and immunoblotting analysis revealed that lactate did not induce polarization from M1- to M2-like macrophages. Based on a recent report that the immunosuppressive effect of lactate depends on epigenetic reprogramming, histone acetylation was investigated, and H3K27ac expression was upregulated. In addition, 7ACC2, which specifically inhibits the monocarboxylate transporter 1, significantly inhibited the anti-inflammatory effect of the conditioned ADSC medium on M1-like macrophages.

Conclusions: Our results showed that ADSCs suppress pro-inflammatory effects of M1-like macrophages by secreting lactate. This study adds to our understanding of the importance of metabolites and is also expected to elucidate new mechanisms of ADSC treatments.