CASP9 and ischemic stroke: To explore the detailed pathways of IL-17A-triggered cell apoptosis, the cleavage levels of caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase-12 and the expression levels of B-cell 2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) were determined in the peri-infarct region of mice with ischemic stroke in vivo.