TNFRSF11B and cerebral artery occlusion: OPG has been shown to be upregulated by ischemia in juvenile rats and mice [38, 61] and in a murine model of middle-cerebral artery occlusion, OPG deletion results in decreased infarct volume, reduced brain edema, downregulation of IL-6 and TNF-α, and diminished infiltration of macrophages [61].