The octadecaneuropeptide (ODN; QATVGDVNTDRPGLLDLK) and its C‐terminal octapeptide (OP; RPGLLDLK), which exert anxiogenic activity, have been previously shown to increase intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) in cultured rat astrocytes through activation of a metabotropic receptor positively coupled to phospholipase C. It has also been found that the [d‐Leu5]OP analog possesses a weak antagonistic activity. The aim of the present study was to synthesize and characterize cyclic analogs of OP and [d‐Leu5]OP. On‐resin homodetic backbone cyclization of OP yielded an analog, cyclo₁₋₈ OP, which was three times more potent and 1.4‐times more efficacious than OP to increase [Ca²⁺]_i in cultured rat astrocytes. Cyclo₁₋₈ OP also mimicked the effect of both OP and ODN on polyphosphoinositide turnover. Conversely, the cyclo₁₋₈[d‐Leu5]OP analog was totally devoid of agonistic activity but suppressed the effect of OP and ODN on [Ca²⁺]_i and phosphoinositide metabolism in astrocytes. The structure of these cyclic analogs has been determined by two‐dimensional ¹H‐NMR and molecular dynamics. Cyclo₁₋₈ OP exhibited a single conformation characterized by a γ turn comprising residues Pro2–Leu4 and a type III β turn encompassing residues Leu5–Lys8. Cyclo₁₋₈[d‐Leu⁵]OP was present as two equimolar conformers resulting from cis/trans isomerization of the Arg–Pro peptide bond. These pharmacological and structural data should prove useful for the rational design of non peptidic ODN analogs.