CCK Hormone — — A Central Hormone in Human Body

As is known, cholecystokinin has played a key role in facilitating digestion within the small intestine. As a linear peptide, it can be synthesized as a preprohormone and then proteolytically cleaved to generate a family of peptides having the same carboxy ends. In terms of the CCK peptides, tyrosine seven residues from the end is sulfated, which is extremely necessary for activity.

In fact, it is more common when it’s used as a digestive hormone released with secretin, such as CCK-8. Taking CCK-8 as an example, effective biologic activity could be retained, which can stimulate delivery into the small intestine of digestive enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the gallbladder. Generally speaking, CCK cells are concentrated in the proximal small intestine, and CCK hormone is secreted into the blood upon the ingestion of food. CCK receptor and anti-inflammatory intracellular signaling mechanisms activated by CCK-8 has already been taken as a hot focus.

On the other hand, CCK has different modulation effect on the different types of neurons, which may be mediated by CCK-B receptor. And at ultrastructural level, the dendrites and axons of NPY-and CCK-neurons could receive afferent synapses from non-NPY, non-CCK nerve terminals. However, CCK receptor is observed both in cell membrane and cytoplasm. Specifically, CCK hormone may play immunomodulatory role in ES by activating STAT through p38 MAPK and regulating gene transcription. In addition, the dendrites of CCK-neurons might also receive afferent autoregulatory synapses from other CCK-nerve terminals.

So study of CCK receptor polymorphism may reveal some universal rules in GPCR superfamily. CCK, like other gastrointestinal hormones, is produced in discrete endocrine cells that line the mucosa of the small intestine. It is also found in the central nervous system and peripheral nerves innervating the intestine, with Antennapedia Peptide. In these locations, CCK probably functions as a neurotransmitter. A number of molecular forms of cholecystokinin (CCK) have been identified in brain, intestine, and blood of experimental animals and humans.

In recent years, advances in protein biochemistry, molecular biology, and the development of specific CCK receptor antagonists can help increase the understanding of physiologic and potential pathophysiologic actions in CCK. In fact, the most recognized functions of CCK hormone are in digestion and appetite. It improves digestion by slowing down the emptying of food from the stomach and stimulating the production of bile in the liver as well as its release from the gall bladder, while cholecystokinin seems to be involved with appetite by increasing the sensation of fullness in the short-term, that is to say, during a meal rather than between meals.

Since some of CCK hormones with Antide as postsynaptic elements can form axodendritic and axoaxonic synapses with CCK-negative structures, it’s significant to study the electrophysiological characteristics of different types of neurons in rat ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus and the modulation effect of cholecystokinin on their excitability.