MAPK8 and brain ischemia: On the other hand, as cerebral ischemia-reperfusion induces JNK1/2 phosphorylation, Bcl-2 expression, and caspase-3 cleavage in the rat hippocampus, and insulin reverses all the changes mentioned, it should be concluded that a cross-talk exists between Akt and JNK1/2 that could play a role in the anti-ischemic effects of insulin.