Research Information System
TURKIYE KLINIKLERI TIP BILIMLERI DERGISI, vol.27, no.6, pp.889-893, 2007 (SCI-Expanded)
There are two principal forms of cell death: apoptosis, also known as programmed cell death, and necrosis. Since necrosis and apoptosis differ both biochemically and structurally from each other, they were classified as two separate forms of cell death. The word 'apoptosis' is derived from Greek word meaning 'falling leaves' and was first used to describe new form of cell death distinct from necrosis in 1972. Apoptosis occurs via extrinsic (death receptors) and intrinsic (mitochondria) patways. Apoptosis is a physiologic process for cell death that is critical for the normal development and function of multicellular organisms. The Bcl-2 family and caspases (cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinases) play a prominent role in programmed cell death. Members of the Bcl-2 family are pro-apoptotic or antiapoptotic. Members of the caspase family can influence the balance of proapoptotic and antiapoptotic signals from the Bcl-2 family. Apoptotic cell death can a feature of both acute and chronic neurologic diseases. Despite the various causes of such disorders, the mechanism of cell death is similar. Epilepsy is a common, chronic neurologic disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. Experimental studies have confirmed that a prolonged seizure or status epilepticus (SE) can cause neuronal death in the brain. Acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases are illneses associated with high mortality and morbidity, and few or no effective options are available for their treatment. In this article, we examine the causes and mechanisms of neuronal-cell death, concentrating on its possible roles in epilepsy.