Importantly, LPS injection decreased the density of neurons (NeuN+ cells) in the ischemic cortex of mice after stroke, compared to saline injection (n = 8–9 mice per group; P = 0.0435, unpaired t test) (Fig 2H), and this effect was completely abolished when microglia were ablated by PLX3397 treatment prior to stroke (n = 6–9 mice per group; P = 0.1340, unpaired t test) (Fig 2I) and not seen in the contralateral cortex of the mice with intact microglia (n = 8–9 mice per group; P = 0.2629, unpaired t test) (Fig 2J). This evidence concerns the gene RBFOX3 and stroke disorder.