Purpose of review: Cholecystokinin (CCK) controls nutrient delivery to the small intestine by inhibiting food intake and gastric emptying. This review deals with recent work shedding new light on how and when.
Recent findings: Intestinal I-cells release CCK in response to dietary lipid and protein through mechanisms involving the G-protein-coupled receptors GPR40 and calcium-sensing receptor. Vagal afferent neurons are a primary target of CCK and are now recognized as an important site of integration of peripheral signals regulating ingestion. In addition to regulating vagal afferent nerve discharge, CCK also controls the expression of receptors and peptide neurotransmitters by these neurons; these actions are potentiated by leptin and inhibited by ghrelin. The responses of vagal afferent neurons to CCK are attenuated in obesity. Studies of human central nervous system responses using functional magnetic resonance imaging indicate activation of brainstem, hypothalamus and motor cortex by ingested fatty acid that is inhibited by a CCK-1 receptor antagonist. CCK may also play a role in adaptive responses in pancreatic islets by maintaining β-cell mass and acting as an incretin in certain circumstances.
Summary: CCK mediates inhibition of food intake in response to ingested lipid and protein; resistance to CCK occurs in obesity and may contribute to altered mechanisms regulating food intake.