Fig. 1.

Oxidative stress and sources of ROS in RSV infection. To the best of our knowledge, RSV-induced ROS production is partially attributed to NADPH oxidases/NOX, among which NOX1 and NOX2 are involved in ROS generation by epithelial cells. RSV can induce mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) via mitochondrial respiration damage and dysfunction. RSV can also promote Nrf2 deacetylation, ubiquitination, and degradation, leading to decreased expression of AOEs. All of these cellular events result in an imbalance between pro-oxidants and antioxidants, leading to oxidative stress