The mechanisms involved in the mediation of the inhibitory effects of ethanol on gastric emptying were studied in adult male rats. The gastric emptying was determined by measuring the amount of phenol red recovered from the stomach after intragastric administration. Intragastric administration of a 2.5 g kg(-1) body weight dose of ethanol resulted in inhibition of the gastric emptying. Prior intraperitoneal treatment with lorglumide (CR-1409), a selective CCK-A receptor antagonist, abolished the inhibitory effect of ethanol on the gastric emptying. This observation furnishes evidence indicative of the involvement of type A CCK receptors in the mediation of the inhibitory effect of large doses of ethanol on the gastric emptying.