Cholecystokinin potentiates morphine anticonvulsant action through both CCK-A and CCK-B receptors.

Recent studies have suggested that cholecystokinin may have a role in modulating the effects of the endogenous opioid system in physiological functions such as thermoregulation and pain control. However, the possible interaction of cholecystokinin and morphine in epileptogenesis is unknown. We studied the effect of subcutaneous morphine and intracerebroventricularly administered cholecystokinin octapeptide sulphate ester and receptor antagonists CCK-A (MK 329) and CCK-B (L 365,260) on seizures provoked by maximal electroshock in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Seizures were induced through electrode-gel-coated ear clip electrodes by a high voltage, high internal resistance constant current generator, 30 minutes after morphine administration and 10 minutes after cholecystokinin-8-SE, CCK-A and CCK-B infusion. Morphine decreased the length of the tonic component of the seizure and cholecystokinin potentiated this decrease. Cholecystokinin antagonists blocked the effects of both cholecystokinin and morphine. The results suggest that cholecystokinin acts as an endogenous agonist with opioids in the regulation of seizure susceptibility through both CCK-A and B receptors and may be responsible for part of the anticonvulsant action of morphine.

A dose-ranging study of the behavioral and cardiovascular effects of CCK-tetrapeptide in panic disorder.

Recent animal studies have shown that pretreatment with centrally active cholecystokinin (CCK) antagonists blocks the anxiogenic effects of CCK-tetrapeptide (CCK-4). In order to determine whether pretreatment with these antagonists can block the anxiogenic effects of CCK-4 in patients with panic disorder, a suitable challenge dose of CCK-4 must be selected. Thus, we conducted a dose range study in which patients with panic disorder (n = 29) were challenged with CCK-4 (10, 15, 20, or 25 micrograms) or placebo on two separate occasions, in a balanced incomplete block design. Patients received in random order 10 micrograms (n = 12), 15 micrograms (n = 11), 20 micrograms (n = 12), or 25 micrograms (n = 12) of CCK-4 or placebo (n = 11). CCK-4 induced anxiety and panic responses in a dose-dependent fashion. The incidence of panic attacks following the CCK-4 challenge was 17% (10 micrograms), 64% (15 micrograms), 75% (20 micrograms), and 75% (25 micrograms). None of the patients panicked with placebo. Moreover, a strong linear relationship between CCK-4 and increases in heart rate and diastolic blood pressure was found. The findings of this study suggest that a dose of 20 micrograms of CCK-4 (ED75) might be suitable for efficacy studies of CCKB antagonists and other potential antipanic drugs in patients with panic disorder.

Re-evaluation of histidyl-proline diketopiperazine [cyclo(His-Pro)] effects on food intake in the rat.

Histidyl-proline diketopiperazine [cyclo(His-Pro)], a metabolite of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH), has been reported to decrease food intake of rats in a variety of feeding models following intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection. We have re-evaluated the anorectic effects of cyclo(His-Pro) on food deprivation-induced and spontaneous feeding. When injected ICV at the end of the light period into ad lib fed rats, neither the naturally occurring cyclo(L-His-L-Pro) isomer (14 to 1000 nmole/rat) nor any of the four cyclo(D,L-His-D,L-Pro) stereoisomers (100 nmole/rat) significantly suppressed food intake at any hour for up to 12- or 24-hr post-injection. Bombesin (0.6 nmole/rat ICV) decreased food intake in the same model by up to 86% with anorexia still apparent 15-hr post-injection (71%, p less than 0.001). In two food deprivation-induced feeding models, cyclo(L-His-L-Pro) (100 and 1000 nmole/rat ICV) did not cause anorexia while TRH (10 and 1000 nmole/rat ICV) maximally suppressed food intake by 74% (p less than 0.02) and 50% (p less than 0.01). Occasional transient increases of food consumption were observed in cyclo(His-Pro)-treated rats during both spontaneous and induced feeding. Cyclo(L-His-L-Pro) was also without effect on food intake when intraperitoneally administered at 12.5 and 30 mumole/kg to schedule fed rats. TRH at 30 mumole/kg IP transiently suppressed food intake of schedule fed rats (p less than 0.005). These findings indicate that cyclo(His-Pro) does not exhibit anorectic activity in the rat and cast doubt on the concept that TRH-induced anorexia results from conversion of TRH to an active cyclo(His-Pro) metabolite.