APLN and ischemic stroke: For example, apelin significantly reduces the expression of inflammatory cytokines in rat brains, such as interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), TNF-α and intercellular adhesion molecule 1(ICAM-1), and inhibits cell apoptosis in rats with ischemic stroke (Chen et al., 2015; Xin et al., 2015; Yan et al., 2015).