Ceruletide
A cholecystokinin mimic for the gut and pancreas
Ceruletide, also called caerulein, is a peptide analogue of cholecystokinin. It contracts the gallbladder, stimulates the pancreas and speeds the gut, and was marketed in the US as Tymtran for diagnostic tests. It is now discontinued there, and is best known as the standard laboratory tool for inducing pancreatitis in animals.
What is it?
Ceruletide shares its active end with cholecystokinin, the gut hormone that empties the gallbladder and drives pancreatic enzyme secretion. A 1982 pharmacology review described its uses: as an aid to small-bowel X-rays, for treating postoperative ileus and intestinal atony, and for testing exocrine pancreatic function. Its side effects at therapeutic doses were mild, transient extensions of its actions, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and, rarely, low blood pressure and fast heart rate.
In the 1980s it was also tried in psychiatry, because cholecystokinin analogues showed neuroleptic-like activity in mice. A double-blind trial in 17 people with chronic schizophrenia found few differences from placebo, with exceptions as likely to favour placebo. In 37 people with tardive dyskinesia, ceruletide's effect did not differ significantly from placebo overall, though it did better in those under 60.
Today its main use is in research. Caerulein is used to injure pancreatic cells as a model of acute pancreatitis; a 2024 study, for example, used caerulein-stimulated human pancreatic duct cells alongside blood from patients. In the US the medicine is discontinued, and Drugs@FDA lists no current product.
At a Glance
Every value in this table is printed from the Grey Peptides dataset, the same record the compound explorer and comparison tool read, so the three can never disagree.
Published Research
Studies of ceruletide, from their PubMed abstracts.
Pharmacology, uses and adverse effects
Ceruletide stimulates gallbladder contraction, pancreatic secretion and intestinal motility; it was used diagnostically for small-bowel X-rays and pancreatic function, and therapeutically for postoperative ileus, with mild, transient side effects such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Schizophrenia: double-blind trial
In 17 people with chronic schizophrenia continuing neuroleptics, two ceruletide injections produced few significant differences from placebo, with exceptions as likely to favour placebo, and no predictors of benefit.
Tardive dyskinesia
In 37 patients, weekly ceruletide for 4 weeks did not differ significantly from placebo overall, but was more effective in patients under 60 and those mainly on butyrophenones; no serious side effects occurred.
Gallbladder emptying across species
Ceruletide infusion emptied the gallbladder almost completely in rabbits (85% ejection fraction) but left more residual bile in prairie dogs, which the authors linked to the prairie dog's tendency to form gallstones.
Caerulein as a pancreatitis model
Researchers used caerulein-stimulated human pancreatic duct cells as a model of acute pancreatitis, finding that the enzyme DUOX2 was raised in patients' blood and that a microRNA affected caerulein-induced duct cell injury and pyroptosis.
Side Effects & Contraindications
Reported Side Effects
From the studies above.
Contraindications & Cautions
No current US label: the product is discontinued and DailyMed has no label (read October 3, 2026).
Legal Status
Ceruletide is no longer marketed in the US.
Frequently Asked Questions
?Is ceruletide the same as caerulein?
Yes. Caerulein (or cerulein) is the name used in laboratory research; ceruletide is its drug name.
?Why is caerulein used in pancreatitis research?
It injures pancreatic cells in a way that mimics acute pancreatitis, so researchers use it to model the disease in cells and animals.
?Did ceruletide help schizophrenia?
No. A double-blind trial found few differences from placebo, after earlier open studies had suggested benefit.
?What side effects did ceruletide cause?
The 1982 review described them as mild, transient extensions of its actions: nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, and rarely low blood pressure and a fast heart rate. The tardive dyskinesia trial reported no serious side effects.
References
- [fda] US FDA, Drugs@FDA (openFDA): TYMTRAN, NDA 018296, marketing status discontinued; no label on DailyMed. Read October 3, 2026.
- [pubmed] Vincent ME, et al. "Pharmacology, clinical uses, and adverse effects of ceruletide, a cholecystokinetic agent." Pharmacotherapy, 1982;2(4):223-34. PMID: 6763205.
- [clinical-trial] Mattes JA, et al. "Ceruletide for schizophrenia: a double-blind study." Biol Psychiatry, 1985;20(5):533-8. PMID: 2859054.
- [clinical-trial] Matsunaga T, et al. "The effect of ceruletide on tardive dyskinesia: a double-blind placebo-controlled study." Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry, 1988;12(4):533-9. PMID: 3043555.
- [pubmed] Krishnamurthy GT, et al. "Gallbladder filling and post-ceruletide emptying in prairie dogs and rabbits." Nucl Med Commun, 1988;9(5):382-8. PMID: 3412728.
- [pubmed] Zhang G, et al. "miR-605-3p may affect caerulein-induced ductal cell injury and pyroptosis in acute pancreatitis by targeting the DUOX2/NLRP3/NF-κB pathway." PeerJ, 2024;12:e17874. PMID: 39224819.
Sources & Citations
Studies were read from their PubMed records; regulatory sources are listed below, read October 3, 2026.
Medical Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and nothing here is an instruction to obtain or use any compound. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before making health decisions.