TNF and ischemic stroke: Previous studies have shown that NBP could have therapeutic effects on ischemic stroke through multiple mechanisms, including reducing the inflammatory response of ischemic stroke [1], attenuating microglia activation [3], decreasing the levels of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), reducing blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage and brain edema [4], and promoting remyelination process [7].