PYCARD and Stroke: Furthermore, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), another experimental model of stroke used in rodents has been reported to produce elevated levels of AIM2 inflammasome protein complex and downstream signaling proteins, caspase-1, ASC, and Gasdermin-D, providing evidence of pyroptosis in the CNS through the AIM2 inflammasome after cerebrovascular occlusion [61].