19 20 21 2 ABSTRACT 22 23 NMDA receptors (NMDAR) play an important role in cell survival versus cell 24 death decisions during neuronal development, ischemia, trauma and epilepsy. 25 Coupling of neurons by electrical synapses (gap junctions) is high or increases in 26 neuronal networks during all these conditions. In the developing CNS, neuronal gap 27 junctions are critical for two different t...

Many studies indicate that oxidative stress is involved in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. Oxidative stress can induce neuronal damages, modulate intracellular signaling and ultimately leads to neuronal death by apoptosis or necrosis. To review antioxidants preventive effects on oxidative stress and neurodegenerative diseases we accumulated data from internatio...

The precise assembly of neuronal circuits requires that the correct number of pre- and postsynaptic neurons form synaptic connections. Neuronal cell number is thus tightly controlled by cell death during development. Investigating the regulation of cell number in the retina we found an ATP gated mechanism of neuronal death control. By degrading endogenous extracellular ATP or blocking the P2X(7...

The tumor suppressor gene p53 is a potent transcriptional regulator for genes involved in many cellular activities including cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In this study, we examined the role of p53 in neuronal death induced by the sodium channel modulator veratridine. We also analyzed the involvement of Ca2+, mitochondria and reactive oxygen species in p53 activation. Exposure of hippocampal...