Our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of stroke
remain still incomplete. The initial ischemic insult in the
brain has numerous consequences including excitotoxicity,
DNA damage, and production of free radicals (O’Hare et al.,
2002). Neuronal cell death following ischemic stroke has
traditionally been characterized as necrosis (Dirnagl et al.,
1999). However, morphological and biochemical evidence
indicates that apoptosis also occurs in ischemic brain injury