TNF and ischemia: Our research team found that picroside II could inhibit the expression of inflammatory factors such as Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor κB (NFκB), caspase enzymes-3 (caspase-3), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) in cerebral ischemic penumbra after middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion, and then inhibit neuronal apoptosis induced by ischemia[31-35].