IL6 and Stroke: Real-time PCR analysis in rats after t-MCAO has revealed that the mRNA levels for TNF-a, IL-1b, IL-6, E-selectin, and ICAM-1 are increased 3 h after stroke that persist for 24 h in the hemisphere ipsilateral to occlusion (Elango and Devaraj, 2010; Luo et al., 2021).