The relevance of the rate of increase in the plasma concentration of nifedipine for the drug's hemodynamic effect was investigated in healthy volunteers. Nifedipine was given intravenously according to two regimens, each designed to produce the same steady-state concentration, but attained gradually (within 5 to 7 hours) with one regimen and rapidly (within 3 minutes) with the other. The mean steady-state concentrations obtained were 31.7 +/- 5.2 (SD) ng/ml and 29.4 +/- 9.8 ng/ml, respectively (not significant). With the gradual regimen, heart rate was unchanged and diastolic blood pressure was lowered gradually by approximately 10 mm Hg. With the rapid regimen, heart rate increased immediately and remained elevated for the duration of the infusion, whereas diastolic blood pressure did not change significantly. At the end of the gradual-rise regimen, the infusion rate was increased tenfold for 10 minutes, promptly resulting in tachycardia and a paradoxical rise in diastolic blood pressure. These divergent hemodynamic responses of the gradual- and rapid-rise regimens could well be related to differences in baroreceptor activation. It is concluded that the hemodynamic response to nifedipine is influenced by the rate of increase of its concentration in plasma.