The purpose of this study was to determine the regulation of pancreatic polypeptide (PP) release by using pirenzepine (a specific M1 muscarinic receptor antagonist), 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine methobromide (4-DAMP, a specific M3 muscarinic receptor antagonist), atropine (a nonspecific muscarinic receptor antagonist), and loxiglumide (cholecystokinin, CCK, receptor antagonist) in dogs. In conscious dogs with chronic gastric and duodenal fistulas, release of PP and exocrine pancreatic secretion were stimulated by constant intravenous infusion of CCK-8 (200 ng/kg/h). Graded doses of pirenzepine (0.18-4.7 mmol/kg/h), 4-DAMP (6.7-180 nmol/kg/h), or atropine (0.89-24 nmol/kg/h) dose-dependently reduced plasma PP responses to CCK-8 without influence on exocrine pancreatic secretion. ID50 calculated from these results were 492 +/- 150 nmol/kg/h for pirenzepine, 10.7 +/- 1.8 nmol/kg/h for 4-DAMP and 19.4 +/- 5.2 nmol/kg/h for atropine. A similar sequence in the inhibitory potency was observed in 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG, 100 mg/kg)-stimulated PP release, exocrine pancreatic, and gastric secretions. On the other hand, loxiglumide, a CCK receptor antagonist, did not influence PP release stimulated by 2-DG. These findings suggest that both CCK- and 2-DG-stimulated PP releases are mainly under cholinergic nerve control mediated by M3 muscarinic receptor in dogs.