The selective cholecystokinin (CCK)-B-receptor agonist and antagonist, BC 264 and L 365260, respectively, and the CCK-A-receptor antagonist, L 364718, were used to investigate the possible involvement of different classes of CCK receptors in the control of food intake induced by exogenous CCK octapeptide (CCK-8) in the cat with gastric fistula. Intravenous infusion of CCK-8 dose dependently inhibited milk intake under sham-feeding conditions, maximal inhibition reaching 52 +/- 7% (P less than 0.001) with 0.88 nmol.kg-1.h-1. L 364718 prevented this inhibition, whereas L 365260 was ineffective over the dose range tested. The reversal effect of L 364718 on 0.88 nmol.kg-1.h-1 CCK-8-induced inhibition of milk intake was observed at doses as low as 0.44 nmol.kg-1.h-1. The selective CCK-B-receptor agonist, BC 264, in doses ranging from 0.88 to 7 nmol.kg-1.h-1, had no effect on milk intake under sham-feeding conditions, although it dose dependently stimulated gastric acid output. Furthermore, neither L 364718 nor L 365260 (88 nmol.kg-1.h-1 iv) stimulated milk intake when given in the absence of CCK-8. We conclude that exogenous CCK-8 causes satiety in the cat through activation of peripheral CCK-A receptors.