To determine the neuroprotective effects and underpinning mechanisms of thrombopoietin (TPO), Matrix Metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9) and Nuclear Factor-κB (NF-κB) after focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in rats. | Thrombopoietin could protect cerebral tissue against ischemia-reperfusion injury by suppressing NF-κB and MMP-9 expression in rats