Antioxidant treatment ameliorates respiratory syncytial virus-induced disease and lung inflammation

Rationale: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of lower respiratory tract infection in children.No treatment hasbeen shown to significantly improve the clinical outcome of patients with this infection. Recent evidence suggests that oxidative stress could play an important role in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic lung inflammatory diseases. We do not known whether RSV induces pulmonary oxidative stress and whether antioxidant treatment can modulate RSV-induced lung disease. Objectives: To investigate the effect of antioxidant administra-tion on RSV-induced lung inflammation, clinical disease, and airway hyperreactivity (AHR). Methods: BALB/c mice were infected with 107 plaque-forming units of RSV, in the presence or absence of orally administered butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), an antioxidant. Malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal weremeasured in bronchoalveoar lavage (BAL) b