Male rats ingested about half as much of an intraorally infused (1 ml/min) carbohydrate solution compared with a protein solution. Blood levels of cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) had increased to 13.6 +/- 1.4 and 16.7 +/- 1.7 pmol/l when the rats stopped ingesting carbohydrate or protein and continued to increase to 35.6 +/- 3.2 pmol/l 30 min after the carbohydrate meal and 34.4 +/- 3.5 pmol/l 60 min after the protein meal. Intraperitoneal injection of CCK-8 (0.6-5.0 micrograms) inhibited and injection of the CCKA-receptor antagonist L-364, 718 (20-80 micrograms) facilitated carbohydrate intake, but neither CCK-8 nor L-364,718 affected protein intake. The results suggest that CCK-8 is not involved in regulating the duration of a protein meal but may be involved in regulating carbohydrate intake. The postprandial period of suppression of protein intake correlated with the disappearance of some amino acids, e.g., Arg, Tyr, and Trp, in the blood, and this may be of importance for protein ingestion, since these amino acids are neurotransmitter precursors.