Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a neuropeptide found in brain and intestine. In this report, we have isolated a cDNA clone that encodes CCK from a mouse brain cDNA library. This cDNA clone has extensive homology to CCK precursors that have been sequenced previously. Southern blots of genomic DNA probed with this cDNA clone revealed single bands for each of eight different restriction enzymes, all of w...

The presence of CCK-containing neuroendocrine cells in human adenomatous prostates, and the colocalization of CCK together with serotonin in the same cell, have been demonstrated by means of an immunohistochemical technique and by a double labeling immunofluorescent staining. CCK-containing neuroendocrine cells had a focal distribution in the prostates and sometimes showed dendrite-like cytopla...

The paradigm for the control of feeding behavior has changed significantly. Research has shown that leptin, in the presence of CCK, may mediate the control of short-term food intake. This interaction between CCK and leptin occurs at the vagus nerve. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the interaction between CCK and leptin in the vagal primary afferent neurons. Single neuronal discha...

3S(-)-N-(2,3-dihydro-1-methyl-2-oxo-5-phenyl-1H-1,4- benzodiazepine-3-yl)-1H-indole-2-carboxamide (L-364,718) interacted in a competitive manner with rat pancreatic cholecystokinin (CCK) receptors as determined by Scatchard analysis of the specific binding of 125I-labeled CCK. The affinity of L-364,718 for both pancreatic (IC50, 81 pM) and gallbladder (IC50, 45 pM) CCK receptors in radioligand ...

The CCK and gastrin families of peptides act as hormones and neuropeptides on central and peripheral receptors to mediate secretion and motility in the gastrointestinal tract in the physiological response to a normal meal. Thus far, two CCK receptors have been molecularly identified to mediate the actions of CCK and gastrin, CCK-A and CCK-B receptors (CCK-AR and CCK-BR, respectively). The regul...

Capsaicin treatment destroys vagal afferent C fibers and markedly attenuates reduction of food intake and induction of hindbrain Fos expression by CCK. However, both anatomical and electrophysiological data indicate that some gastric vagal afferents are not destroyed by capsaicin. Because CCK enhances behavioral and electrophysiological responses to gastric distension in rats and people, we hyp...

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a gastrointestinal hormone that induces exocytotic amylase release in pancreatic acinar cells. The activation of protein kinase C (PKC) is involved in the CCK-induced pancreatic amylase release. Myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) is a ubiquitously expressed substrate of PKC. MARCKS has been implicated in membrane trafficking in several cell types. Th...

Under certain conditions, exogenously administered cholecystokinin (CCK) or its COOH-terminal octapeptide can terminate feeding and cause behavioral satiety in animals. Furthermore, high concentrations of CCK are normally found in the brains of vertebrate species. It has thus been hypothesized that brain CCK plays a role in the control of appetite. To explore this possibility, a COOH-terminal r...

Cholecystokinin (CCK) plays an important role in pancreatic carcinogenesis. While human CCK-A and -B receptors have been fully characterized, their relative roles in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma remain unclear. Thus, expression of CCK-A and -B receptors in normal human pancreas, pancreatic adenocarcinomas, and other human extrapancreatic tissues and malignancies was examined, using reverse t...

Brain-gut peptide action has been best studied in certain target cells of the gastrointestinal tract such as isolated pancreatic acini. Cholecystokinin (CCK) activation of pancreatic digestive enzyme secretion is initiated by specific receptors present in the basolateral membrane of the acinar cell. These receptors are highly selective for CCK and readily discriminate it from the homologous pep...