The objective of the present investigation was to determine if gastrin at physiological concentrations has part of its mechanism(s) of action through stimulation of guanylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.2). Human gastrin (I), pentagastrin, tetragastrin, and gastrin-related tetrapeptide all increased cyclic GMP levels and guanylate cyclase activity in rat gastric mucosa, whole stomach, and duodenum. Maximal stimulation was seen at 1 microM with all of the above. There was no further enhancement of guanylate cyclase with increasing the concentration to the millimolar range. The ED50 for human gastrin and pentagastrin was 0.01 microM, whereas the ED50 was 0.1 microM for tetragastrin and the tetrapeptide. No enhancement of guanylate cyclase activity was seen with decreasing the concentration to 1 nM of the respective gastrins. Cimetidine utilized at 1 microM or 1 mM concentrations partially blocked the augmentation by gastrin suggesting that part of this enhancement was through the histamine 2 receptor which has been shown to be important in pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid release. Since the block was only partial these data would also indicate that some part of gastrin's activation of this enzyme is not mediated through the histamine 2 receptor.