Non-technical summaryCholecystokinin (CCK) is a peptide hormone of the gastrointestinal system responsible for stimulating the digestion of fat and protein; it also functions to suppress feeding. CCK is also recognized as a neurotransmitter within the central nervous system (CNS). As such, there are receptors for CCK both in the periphery as well as within the CNS. Thus, it is not certain where the principal site of action is for CCK to affect gastric reflexes and feeding behaviour. We show that picomole amounts of systemic CCK are sufficient to modulate gastric reflexes and that these effects are probably mediated via peripheral vagal afferents in the proximal gut. Knowledge of how and where this peptide hormone acts increases our understanding of the regulation of feeding behaviour.
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