The level of glutathione (GSH) is often reduced in brains that are affected by neurodegeneration. It is not known, however, whether this is a cause or a consequence of the disease. Here we have examined the effects of GSH depletion on the viability of human neurons cultured in either the presence or the absence of astrocytes, both derived from NT2/D1 cells. We established that the endogenous concentration of GSH is 10 times lower in neurons than in astrocytes (1.42 versus 18.9 pmol µg protein−1) and that pure neuronal cultures begin to die by apoptosis within 24 h of GSH depletion. By contrast, neurons that are co-cultured with astrocytes remain viable for several days, even with a profoundly decreased GSH content. However, they die rapidly when challenged additionally with nitrative stress. In addition, astrocytes survive for prolonged periods of time (>12 days) under severely reduced GSH concentrations. Our study shows clear differences in the content and sensitivity to depletion of GSH in neurons and astrocytes and establishes the significance of neuronal–glial interactions for the maintenance of neuronal viability under reduced GSH content. However, with chronic GSH depletion, these interactions might not be sufficient to protect neurons from other injurious factors (i.e. reactive oxygen and nitrogen species), which indicates that defective GSH metabolism might facilitate the progression of neurodegeneration.