Sevoflurane was administered before, during and after cerebral ischemia, and has been found to modulate the balance between pro- and anti-apoptotic key proteins towards a reduction of active programmed cell death by increasing the hippocampal concentration of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2, and by inhibiting the ischemia-induced upregulation of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax [54]. The gene discussed is BCL2; the disease is brain ischemia.