Rats were given i.v., intranasal or intraperitoneal doses of CCK-8 (su
lfated) labelled with I-125-labeled Bolton and Hunter reagent. Radioac
tivity was found mainly in the liver, kidney, and the intestinal conte
nts. No radioactivity was detected in the brain. In animals dosed i.v.
, specific localization occurred in the tissue of the pyloric region o
f the stomach, and in the pancreas. Label persisted within the pyloric
region of the stomach for longer than 30 min, in spite of the reporte
d half-life of CCK-8 in plasma of approximately 1 min. Intranasal and
intraperitoneal doses had limited bioavailability. The binding to the
sites in the pyloric region of the stomach, which required systemic de
livery, may have identified receptors associated with appetite control
.