Background: Tumour necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) is a pleiotropic pro-inflammatory cytokine, which is rapidly upregulated in the brain after injury. TNF-a acts by binding to its receptors, TNF-R1 (p55) and TNF-R2 (p75), on the cell surface. The aim of this study was first to investigate if there is altered expression of TNF-a and TNF-a receptors in cerebral artery walls following global or focal is...