Compared to sham group, the MCAO group exhibited significantly decreased levels of phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K), phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), Nrf2, and HO-1, indicating that both PI3K-Akt and Nrf2/HO-1 pathways were inhibited during cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury. This evidence concerns the gene HMOX1 and brain ischemia.