Raising intracellular calcium attenuates neuronal apoptosis triggered by staurosporine or oxygen-glucose deprivation in the presence of glutamate receptor blockade.

The relationship between intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) regulation and programmed cell death is not well-defined; both increases and decreases in [Ca(2+)](i) have been observed in cells undergoing apoptosis. We determined [Ca(2+)](i) in cultured murine cortical neurons undergoing apoptosis after exposure to staurosporine or following oxygen-glucose deprivation in the presence of glutamate receptor antagonists. Neuronal [Ca(2+)](i) was decreased 1-4 h after exposure to staurosporine (30 nM).