MMP9 and diabetes mellitus: Diabetes concomitant to ischemic stroke is associated with evidence of enhanced infarct size, oedema, blood–brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction [80], and is believed to be mediated via sustained exposure to hyperglycaemia induced oxidative stress, Ca2+ toxicity, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activation and the increased expression of the inflammatory marker intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) [33, 80, 178].