['To investigate the effects of ischaemic postconditioning on brain injury and protein oxidization in focal ischaemia/reperfusion.', 'Adult male Wistar rats (n = 30) were randomly divided into sham-operated, ischaemia, and ischaemic postconditioning groups. Ischaemia  was produced by middle cerebral artery occlusion and ischaemic postconditioning was performed using three cycles of 30-s/30-s reperfusion/reocclusion after 2 h of ischaemia. Brain infarction size, hydrogen peroxide concentration, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and proteasome activities,  protein carbonyl derivatives and advanced oxidized protein products (AOPPs) were evaluated.', 'The size of brain infarction after ischaemic postconditioning was significantly smaller compared with the ischaemia group, and was concomitant with significant reduction in protein carbonyl  derivatives and AOPPs. The activities of SOD, CAT and proteasomes were elevated by ischaemic postconditioning compared with the ischaemia group.'] Does ischaemic postconditioning rescue brain injury caused by focal ischaemia/reperfusion via attenuation of protein oxidization?