Brain-lung-thyroid syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant disorder. More than 100 cases have been reported worldwide, but few cases have been reported in China. In December 2018, a boy with brain-lung-thyroid syndrome, aged 3 years and 10 months, was admitted to Xiangya Hospital of Central South University due to repeated cough for more than 3 years. In infancy of the boy, psychomotor retardation, repeated cough, and hypothyroidism were found. Gene detection showed that there was c.927delc heterozygous variation in NKX2-1 gene (NM-001079668: exon3: c.927delC). The variation of this gene locus has not been reported in relevant literature so far, which indicates a new mutation. According to the above clinical manifestations and examination results, the boy was diagnosed as brain-lung-thyroid syndrome, which mainly characterized by nervous system disorders, accompanied by respiratory manifestations and hypothyroidism. The boy was treated with oral dopasehydrazine to relieve tremor and levothyroxine sodium tablets to relieve hypothyroidism. Anti-infection, atomization, rehabilitation training and other symptomatic supporting treatment were also administered. The boy's language and movement have improved, the thyroid hormone level is normal, and there are still repeated respiratory tract infections.
Athetosis/genetics* ; Chorea ; Congenital Hypothyroidism/genetics* ; Cough ; Humans ; Male ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; Thyroid Nuclear Factor 1/genetics*

The purpose of this paper was to study the transcriptional regulation of nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1) on nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), a key molecule in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung epithelial inflammation, and to clarify the mechanism of NRF1-mediated inflammatory response in lung epithelial cells. In vivo, male BALB/c mice were treated with NRF1 siRNA, followed with LPS (4 mg/kg) or 0.9% saline through respiratory tract, and sacrificed 48 h later. Expression levels of NRF1, NF-κB p65 and its target genes were detected by Western blot and real-time PCR. Nuclear translocation of NRF1 or p65 was measured by immunofluorescent technique. In vitro, L132 cells were transfected with NRF1 siRNA or treated with BAY 11-7082 (5 μmol/L) for 24 h, followed with treatment of 1 mg/L LPS for 6 h. Cells were lysed for detections of NRF1, NF-κB p65 and its target genes as well as the binding sites of NRF1 on RELA (encoding NF-κB p65) promoter by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay (ChIP). Results showed that LPS stimulated NRF1 and NF-κB p65. Pro-inflammatory factors including interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-6 were significantly increased both in vivo and in vitro. Obvious nuclear translocations of NRF1 and p65 were observed in LPS-stimulated lung tissue. Silencing NRF1 resulted in a decrease of p65 and its target genes both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, BAY 11-7082, an inhibitor of NF-κB, significantly repressed the inflammatory responses induced by LPS without affecting NRF1 expression. Furthermore, it was proved that NRF1 had three binding sites on RELA promoter region. In summary, NRF1 is involved in LPS-mediated acute lung injury through the transcriptional regulation on NF-κB p65.
Acute Lung Injury/genetics* ; Animals ; Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Male ; Mice ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Nuclear Respiratory Factor 1/genetics* ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Transcription Factor RelA/metabolism*

Mitochondrial dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are considered the key determinants of insulin resistance. Impaired mitochondrial function in obese animals was shown to induce the ER stress response, resulting in reduced adiponectin synthesis in adipocytes. The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is increased in adipose tissues in genetic and dietary models of obesity. In this study, we examined whether activation of iNOS is responsible for palmitate-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, ER stress, and decreased adiponectin synthesis in 3T3L1 adipocytes. As expected, palmitate increased the expression levels of iNOS and ER stress response markers, and decreased mitochondrial contents. Treatment with iNOS inhibitor increased adiponectin synthesis and reversed the palmitate-induced ER stress response. However, the iNOS inhibitor did not affect the palmitate-induced decrease in mitochondrial contents. Chemicals that inhibit mitochondrial function increased iNOS expression and the ER stress response, whereas measures that increase mitochondrial biogenesis (rosiglitazone and adenoviral overexpression of nuclear respiratory factor-1) reversed them. Inhibition of mitochondrial biogenesis prevented the rosiglitazone-induced decrease in iNOS expression and increase in adiponectin synthesis. These results suggest that palmitate-induced mitochondrial dysfunction is the primary event that leads to iNOS induction, ER stress, and decreased adiponectin synthesis in cultured adipocytes.
3T3-L1 Cells ; *Adipocytes/drug effects/metabolism ; Adiponectin/biosynthesis ; Adipose Tissue/metabolism ; Animals ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress/drug effects ; Insulin Resistance/genetics ; Mice ; Mitochondria/drug effects/*metabolism/pathology ; Mitochondrial Turnover/drug effects/genetics ; *Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/genetics/metabolism ; Nuclear Respiratory Factor 1 ; Obesity/genetics/metabolism ; Palmitic Acid/pharmacology ; Thiazolidinediones/pharmacology