Catalepsy produced by long-acting neuroleptics, fluphenazine enanthate and fluphenazine decanoate, in mice.

The cataleptic state induced by the depot-type preparations of fluphenazine (FZ) was investigated in mice. Intramuscular injections of FZ-enanthate or FZ-decanoate produced a marked and long-lasting catalepsy, which was antagonized by trihexyphenidyl, biperiden and promethazine but not by l-dopa. These anticataleptic effects disappeared after several hours and catalepsy occurred again. The cataleptic effects of FZ-enanthate and FZ-decanoate were increased by (D-Ala2, MePhe4, Met(0)5-ol)-enkephalin, aminooxyacetic acid and haloperidol. The results indicate that the cataleptic effects of FZ-enanthate and FZ-decanoate correspond with their long duration of antipsychotic effects and that the catalepsy may involve enkephalinergic, GABAergic and cholinergic as well as dopaminergic neuron activity.