BAX and ischemic stroke: In line with these previous studies, our results suggested that the protective effect of DCH against neuronal apoptosis was associated with inhibiting inflammatory responses, which decreased the secretion of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, leading to downregulation of Bax and the upregulation of Bcl-2 in the hippocampus of mice in the acute phase of ischemic stroke (Figure 4).