Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that p-mTOR, Nrf2 and its downstream effectors including NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (quinone 1) (NQO1) and superoxide dismutase 1(SOD-1) protein expression levels were also increased considerably in hypoxic-ischemia rat brain cortex after argon treatment (Zhao et al., 2016a). This evidence concerns the gene NQO1 and ischemia.