Nerve fibers immunoreactive for cholecystokinin (CCK) have been observed in the rat ovary, but the function of this gut peptide in the ovary is not known. These studies were designed to investigate the effects of the CCK C-terminal octapeptide (CCK-8) on the intracellular calcium ion concentration ([Ca2+]i), protein kinase-C (PKC) activity, and progesterone secretion in granulosa cells obtained from the two largest preovulatory follicles (F1 and F2) of hens. [Ca2+]i was measured in cells loaded with the Ca(2+)-responsive fluorescent dye fura-2. The resting [Ca2+]i in these cells was 96 +/- 5 nM. There was a rapid (i.e. within 5-10 sec) 2- to 4-fold increase in [Ca2+]i in 70% of the cells examined after the addition of 10(-7) M CCK-8. The CCK-8-triggered [Ca2+]i transient was not affected by incubating the cells in Ca(2+)-free medium containing 2 mM EGTA or by pretreating the cells with a Ca2+ channel blocker, such as La3+ (1 mM) or D600 (100 microM). The CCK-8-triggered [Ca2+]i surge was abolished by pretreating the cells with the inhibitor of inositol phospholipid hydrolysis, neomycin (1.5 mM), the CCK antagonists proglumide (1 mM) and benzotript (1 mM), or pertussis toxin (50 ng/ml for 12 h). Incubating granulosa cells with CCK-8 (2 x 10(-7) M) for 10 min stimulated a 1.60 +/- 0.04-fold increase in membrane-associated PKC activity over control levels. In 3-h incubations, CCK-8 (10(-6)-10(-8) M) did not affect basal or LH (20 or 100 ng/ml-stimulated progesterone production. These studies demonstrate that CCK-8 causes a transient increase in chicken granulosa cell [Ca2+]i through the release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores and activates membrane-associated PKC activity, but does not affect progesterone production. These results suggest the presence of G-protein-coupled phospholipase-C-activating CCK receptors on the surface of these cells.