EN
Wxititixicity - cell loss occurring after an excessive stimulation with excitatory amino acid - has been suggested to underlie major neurodegenerative disorders.Recent studies imply that this phenomenon may have an apoptotic character, i.e.., it may be an active process.In our studies, revived herein, we confirmed and extended this view by demonstratijng a gene expression component in the processes of neuronal cell loss in three different experimental models: i. kinate administration, II, high-dose MK-801 treatment, iii.glutamate stimulation of dentate gyrus neurons cultured in vitro.In conclusion we suggest that these data, as well as tha results of a number of other studies offer a hope that there ia a therapeutic window for the treatment of a neurodegenerative diseases, both in respect to time between the insult and cell death, and through possible common mechanisms to be targeted by future therapies.One can even speculate that such therapies might aim at transcription factors, e.g. AP-1 of a specific composition and/or executor hydrolytic enzymes, e.g., cathepsin D.