The effects of neurotrophins on several forms of neuronal degeneration in murine cortical cell cultures were examined. Consistent with other studies, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurotrophin-3, and neurotrophin-4/5 all attenuated the apoptotic death induced by serum deprivation or exposure lo the calcium channel antagonist nimodipine, Unexpectedly, however, 24-hour pretreatment with these same neurotrophins markedly potentiated the necrotic death induced by exposure to oxygen-glucose deprivation or N-methyl-D-aspartate. Thus, certain neurotrophins may have opposing effects on different types of death in the same neurons.