We investigated the role of CCK in the development of anxiety by determining whether CCKB receptor antisense suppressed intracellular Ca(2+) concentration in vitro or suppressed conditioned fear stress in vivo. First, for the in vitro studies, we used rat pituitary tumor GH3 cells since these cells have CCKB receptors. GH3 cells were stimulated by 10 microM CCK-4; intracellular Ca(2+) concentration was measured. The CCKB receptor antisense at 1 or 10 microM reduced the subsequent response to 10 microM CCK-4 in a time-dependent manner. Second, for the in vivo studies, the CCKB receptor antisense, sense, random sense, or saline was infused at a constant rate for 6 days into rat lateral ventricles via mini-osmotic pumps. Individual rats were then subjected to 30 min of inescapable electric footshock in a chamber with a grid floor. Twenty-four hours later, the rat was again placed in the chamber and observed for 5 min without shocks. This study showed that CCKB receptor antisense significantly suppressed intracellular Ca(2+) concentration in GH3 cells and significantly reduced freezing behavior in rats, indicating that the CCKB receptor plays an important role in anxiety.