Although clonidine analgesia appears to be mediated by the same central alpha 2-adrenoceptors that mediate its hypotensive effect, it is short-lasting when compared to the fall in blood pressure. This has been investigated by combined pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic analysis in 10 healthy volunteers who received (double-blind and crossover) clonidine 200 micrograms orally + placebo i.v. and clonidine orally + naloxone i.v. (2.8 mg/5 h). Analgesia was assessed by measuring the subjective (VAS) and objective (RIII) pain thresholds after transcutaneous electrical stimulations of the sural nerve; the mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), salivary flow (SF), and plasma clonidine concentrations were also monitored. A combined pharmacokinetic (first order absorption - 1 compartment) - pharmacodynamic (linear) model, including a hypothetical effect compartment with and without tolerance, were fitted to the data. Clonidine and clonidine + naloxone increased subjective and objective pain thresholds for 4 h. The concentration-effect plot for MAP showed distinct hysteresis. The t1/2s for effect compartment equilibration were 29 and 42 min for clonidine + naloxone and clonidine. The concentration-effect curves for RIII had the same shape as MAP but the starting hysteresis suddenly collapsed, suggesting acute tolerance. The best fit was obtained with a model where the linear relationship between concentration in the effect compartment and analgesia changed acutely after the third hour. The short-lived analgesia was probably related to an acute change in pain sensitivity induced by food, suggesting that it is not mediated solely by the alpha 2-adrenoceptors responsible for hypotension.