In contrast to the MCAO + miR‐130a inhibitors group, there was reduced XIAP expression in the MCAO + miR‐130a inhibitors + XIAP siRNA group, along with increased neurological function score, latency, water content of brain tissues, aggravated pathological changes, increased number of necrotic cells, apoptotic index, incremental cerebral infarction rate and Caspase‐3 and Bax expression, and decreased times of crossing platforms, Bcl‐2, BDNF and NGF expression, DCX/BrdU and NeuN/BrdU double‐positive cells, VEGF and HGF expression, and new blood vessels (all P < 0.05). Here, XIAP is linked to cerebral infarction.