Behavioral effect of cholecystokinin octapeptide in vagotomized rats.

Cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) was administered intracerebroventricularly (icv) or subcutaneously (sc) into subdiaphragmatically vagotomized and sham-operated rats, and the behavioral effects were quantified by an open-field test. Intracerebroventricularly injection of CCK-8 decreased locomotion and rearing to the same extent in both vagotomized and sham-operated rats, while sc injection produced behavioral changes only in sham-operated rats but not in vagotomized ones. The results indicate that CCK-8 affects both central and peripheral receptors, and the vagal nerve may be the major pathway causing behavioral effects from the visceral organs to the brain.