A significant interaction effect of age and stroke was seen in CXCL12 levels (Two-way ANOVA, p<0.0001), with aged animals showing higher levels of CXCL12 (p=0.05) under sham conditions, but significantly lower levels of CXCL12 (p=0.006) than young animals after ischemic stroke. Here, CXCL12 is linked to stroke disorder.