AJP - Endocrinology and Metabolism, Vol 239, Issue 3 232-E235, Copyright © 1980 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Immunological and biological studies on cholecystokinin in rat brain

C. B. Lamers, J. E. Morley, P. Poitras, B. Sharp, H. E. Carlson, J. M. Hershman and J. H. Walsh

Cholecystokinin-like immunoreactivity (CCK-LI) was demonstrated by radioimmunoassay in aqueous (n = 3) and acid (n = 10) extracts of cortex (42 +/- 9 pmol/g; 4.0 +/- 1.8 pmol/g), thalamus (4.1 +/- 1.1 pmol/g; 1.0 +/- 0.2 pmol/g), and hypothalamus (58 +/- 14 pmol/g; 6.3 +/- 0.7 pmol/g). Sephadex chromatography revealed that more than 95% of the immunoreactivity in acid extracts coeluted with CCK33 standard. In aqueous extracts more than 80% of immunoreactivity coeluted with CCK8 standard. Both the CCK33- and CCK8-like materials induced contraction of guinea pig gallbladder in vitro. L-Tryptophan (200 mg/kg) and high-dose morphine (20 mg/kg) decreased CCK33-LI concentrations in hypothalamus and thalamus. Low-dose morphine (5 mg/kg) decreased CCK33-LI in hypothalamus. We conclude that 1) CCK-LI is present in cortex, thalamus, and hypothalamus of the rat brain, 2) CCK-LI exists in two predominant molecular forms coeluting with CCK33 and CCK8, 3) both molecular forms are biologically active, and 4) concentrations of rat brain CCK33-LI are modulated by serotonergic and opiate mechanisms.