To better understand the mechanism underlying the inhibition induced by cholecystokinin (CCK) of phosphatidylcholine (PC) synthesis, the effects of CCK treatment on the activities of enzyme involved in PC synthesis via CDP-choline pathway were studied in isolated rat pancreatic acini. CCK treatment of acini reduced CTP: phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase activity in both cytosolic and particulate fraction. However, CCK treatment of acini did not alter the activities of choline kinase and phosphocholinetransferase in acini. When acini were labeled with [3H] myristic acid and chased, CCK8 (1 nM) reduced the synthesis of [3H] myristic acid labeled-PC to 27% of control after 60 min-chase period. This inhibition of PC synthesis induced by CCK was accompanied by a delayed disappearance of [3H] diacylglycerol (DAG), the radioactivity of which was 225% of control at 60 min. CCK also induced an increase in [3H] triacylglycerol and [3H] phosphatidic acid in acini. These results suggest that CCK inhibits PC synthesis by inducing the inhibition of CTP: phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase activity. The inhibition by CCK of PC synthesis may contribute to the sustained accumulation of DAG in pancreatic acinar cells.