Cholecystokinin: proofs and prospects for involvement in control of food intake and body weight

Evidence that CCK participates in the control of meal size is compelling, b ut the avenues by which CCK may affect daily food intake and body weight re gulation are still uncertain. Although participation of brain CCK in contro l of food intake is acknowledged, our focus here is on participation of per ipheral CCK in the control of food intake. Therefore, in this article we (1 ) review evidence for CCK's participation in control of meal size, (2) docu ment involvement of CCK-A receptors located on vagal sensory neurons in con trol of food intake by exogenous and endogenous CCK, (3) point out apparent discrepancies in the experimental record, which auger for non-endocrine so urces of CCK and non-vagal sites of CCK action, and (4) summarize recent ob servations, suggesting mechanisms by which CCK could participate in the con trol of daily food intake and body weight regulation. (C) 1999 Harcourt Pub lishers Ltd.