Phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase and Akt protein kinase mediate trophic factor-dependent survival in certain neurons. However, a role for these enzymes in neuronal survival promoted by other agents is unclear. We have tested PI 3-kinase and Akt for their role in survival promoted by membrane-depolarizing concentrations of extracellular potassium and the cell-permeable cyclic AMP analogue 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)cyclic AMP (cpt-cAMP). Depolarization of sympathetic neurons resulted in an increase in the activities of both PI 3-kinase and Akt. In addition, the PI 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 was a potent inducer of cell death in depolarized neurons. Stimulation with cpt-cAMP resulted in relatively small increases in PI 3-kinase and Akt activities, and neurons maintained with cpt-cAMP were more resistant to LY294002-induced death than were depolarized neurons. Expression of either dominant-negative PI 3-kinase or dominant-negative Akt blocked survival promoted by depolarization but not by cpt-cAMP. These results indicate that a PI 3-kinase/Akt pathway is required for survival of sympathetic neurons mediated by depolarization but not by cpt-cAMP. Thus, the survival of sympathetic neurons can be maintained through PI 3-kinase/Akt-dependent and -independent pathways.