Synthetic fragment of the hormone cholecystokinin. Used as a diagnostic tool: it makes the gallbladder contract and the pancreas secrete during imaging or laboratory tests.
Regulatory status
Approved (FDA / EMA)
Family
Cholecystokinin analog (CCK-8); diagnostic agent
Scientific evidence
Moderate
Number of findings
1
Where it acts
Digestion and weight
Also known as
sincalide, Kinevac, CCK-8, C-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin
Regulatory status
FDA (US): Approved (Kinevac, marketed since the 1970s) as a diagnostic agent to contract the gallbladder, stimulate pancreatic secretion, and speed up contrast transit in small-bowel studies
EMA (EU): Not approved (no centralized authorization in the EU)
Dose
Diagnostic use: 0.02 µg/kg intravenously as a slow infusion (30 to 60 minutes for gallbladder studies), per the FDA label Kinevac. The reference multicenter study recommends the 60-minute infusion.
Safety
Abdominal discomfort or cramps, nausea, dizziness, and flushing, especially with rapid injection. Rare severe allergic reactions. Contraindicated in intestinal obstruction. Given only in the hospital during a test.
Interactions
Opioids, anticholinergics, and other drugs that relax the gallbladder can alter the test result.
Differences between women and men
The FDA label warns that it may cause premature labor or miscarriage; it is not recommended in pregnancy.
Effect by goal · level of evidence
Normal gallbladder emptying values on scintigraphy
no clear effectModerateclinical trial (A)in people
Normal limit: 38%
Multicenter study in 60 healthy volunteers comparing 15-, 30-, and 60-minute infusions of 0.02 µg/kg. The 60-minute infusion was the most reproducible (variability 19% vs 35% and 52%) and set the normal ejection fraction limit at 38%.
It reproduces the active portion of cholecystokinin, the hormone the intestine releases when you eat fat. It binds to CCK1 receptors in the gallbladder and pancreas: the gallbladder contracts and empties bile, and the pancreas releases enzymes. In scintigraphy it allows measurement of what fraction of the gallbladder empties (ejection fraction).
What the evidence says
In people
Normal values of gallbladder emptying on scintigraphy. Multicenter study in 60 healthy volunteers comparing 15-, 30-, and 60-minute infusions of 0.02 µg/kg. The 60-minute infusion was the most reproducible (variability 19% versus 35% and 52%) and set the normal lower limit of ejection fraction at 38%. PubMed 20080900