To test the hypothesis, we assessed effects of ischemia on the 26S and 20S proteasomal activities, evaluated the contribution of the proteasomal pathways to HIF-1α degradation during hypoxia, and determined the effect of HIF stabilization through proteasomal inhibition on neuronal viability and brain damage in in vitro and in vivo ischemia models. Here, HIF1A is linked to ischemia.