CASP3 and brain ischemia: Caspase-3 activation is considered as the final step and common pathway of multiple apoptotic cascades.29 Cerebral ischemia may enhance some of these and thereby lead to increased apoptosis.30 Indeed, we detected increases in the numbers of TUNEL-positive cells and cleaved caspase-3 in the forebrain of littermate control mice subjected to 40 min ischemia followed by 24 h reperfusion, which in turn were reduced by virus-mediated SENP1 (mCherry) expression in cortical neurons (Figure 6).