Facilitation of GABA release by cholecystokinin and caerulein in rat cerebral cortex

Cholecystokinin octapeptide and its analogue, caerulein, facilitated the K+-evoked release of 14C-GABA from tissue slices of rat parietal cortex. The effect of caerulein was maximal at 1 nM where an enhancement of 36% was produced. Cholecystokinin octapeptide gave rise to a similar maximal enhancement (29%), but was two orders of magnitude less potent. The enhancement of 14C-GABA release by caerulein was reversed by proglumide, a putative competitive antagonist at the cholecystokinin receptor. The possibility that the cholecystokinin-induced facilitation of GABA release in the cortex is involved in the anticonvulsant properties of cholecystokinin-like peptides is discussed.