From this study, we predicted that the human calcitonin gene-related peptide (hCGRP) fragment hCGRP-(8-37) would be a selective antagonist for CGRP receptors but an agonist for calcitonin (CT) receptors. In rat liver plasma membrane, where CGRP receptors predominate and CT appears to act through these receptors, hCGRP-(8-37) dose dependently displaced 125I-[Tyr0]rat CGRP binding. However, hCGRP-(8-37) had no effect on adenylate cyclase activity in liver plasma membrane. Furthermore, hCGRP-(8-37) inhibited adenylate cyclase activation induced not only by hCGRP but also by hCT. On the other hand, in LLC-PK1 cells, where calcitonin receptors are abundant and CGRP appears to act via these receptors, the bindings of 125I-[Tyr0]rat CGRP and 125I-hCT were both inhibited by hCGRP-(8-37). In contrast to liver membranes, interaction of hCGRP-(8-37) with these receptors led to stimulation of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) production in LLC-PK1 cells, and moreover, this fragment did not inhibit the increased production of cAMP induced not only by hCT but also by hCGRP. Thus hCGRP-(8-37) appears to be a useful tool for determining whether the action of CGRP as well as that of CT is mediated via specific CGRP receptors or CT receptors.