Fermented Lettuce Extract Induces Immune Responses through Polarization of Macrophages into the Pro-Inflammatory M1-Subtype

It has been reported that lettuce and its bioactive compounds enhance the host immune system by acting as immune modulators. This study aimed to identify the immunological effect of fermented lettuce extract (FLE) on macrophages. To evaluate the efficacy of FLE in enhancing macrophage function, we measured and compared the levels of macrophage activation-related markers in FLE- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Treatment with FLE activated RAW 264.7 macrophages, increased their phagocytic ability, and increased the production of nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels—similar to LPS. The effects of FLE on M1/M2 macrophage polarization were investigated by determining M1 and M2 macrophage transcript markers in mouse peritoneal macrophages. The FLE-related treatment of peritoneal macrophages enhanced the expression of M1 markers but reduced IL-4 treatment-induced M2 markers. After the generation of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), alterations in the levels of M1 and M2 macrophage markers were measured after treatment with FLE. The FLE-related treatment of TAMs increased the expression and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and also led to the enhanced apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells. These findings suggest that FLE may be useful for macrophage-targeted cancer therapy because of its ability to regulate the activation and polarization of macrophages in the tumor microenvironment.