The effects of centrally injected bombesin on central and peripheral stimulated gastric contractility were investigated in fasted urethane-anesthetized rats. Miniature strain gauge force transducers were acutely implanted on the corpus of the stomach and gastric contractility was analyzed by computer. Intracisternal injection of the stable thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-analog RX 77368 (77 pmol) induced a stimulation of gastric contractility for 40 min. Intracisternal injection of bombesin (62-620 pmol) followed 30 min later by that of RX 77368 resulted in a dose-related inhibition of the TRH-analog-induced gastric contractility. Intracisternal injection of bombesin (620 pmol) did not modify gastric contractility stimulated by intravenous carbachol. Stimulation of gastric contractility induced by TRH-analog microinjected into the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) was dose-related suppressed by concomitant injections of bombesin (6.2-620 pmol). Neither bombesin alone (6.2 pmol) nor vehicle modified basal gastric contractility. These results demonstrate that bombesin acts within the brain to inhibit vagally stimulated gastric contractility and that the DVC is a sensitive site for bombesin inhibitory action. These findings suggest a possible interaction between TRH and bombesin in the central vagal regulation of gastric contractility.