Stroke involves cerebral infarction and hemorrhaging and is associated with very high mortality. Previous reports have indicated that ischemic stimulation such as the reoxygenation that occurs after hypoxia produces a large quantity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that strongly induces neuronal death in vivo and in vitro (Negishi et al., 2001). Indeed, this is considered to be the factor that most strongly induces cell death in cerebral ischemia. In recent years, apoptosis has been suggested to be the mechanism responsible for ischemic neuronal death in animal stroke models (Tagami et al., 1998). Stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) are widely used as a model of human stroke (Yamori et.
