Summary.We examined the effect of daily phenobarbital administration on serum vitamin D metabolite levels and indices of vitamin D biologic activity in 7-week-old male rats maintained on parenteral vitamin D supplementation (125 ng/day). Treatment with phenobarbital (75 mg/kg/day) produced a biphasic response in parameters of vitamin D biologic effect, including serum calcium concentration, serum inorganic phosphate concentration, and intestinal 4'~Ca calcium absorption. An initial increase in these values, maximal after 3-5 days of treatment, was followed by a subsequent decline to subnormal levels by day 21. A parallel biphasic pattern was observed for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentration. Serum 25OHD reached a peak increase of 87% above control levels (P < 0.0l), observed after 5 days of treatment, and subsequently declined to 62% of control animal values (P < 0.01) by 21 days. Serum 24,25(OH)._,D concentration followed a similar course and exhibited a strong positive correlation w/th serum 25OHD concentrations (r = 0.74, P < 0.01). In contrast, serum 1,25(OH)~_D concentration was not significantly different from control values after 5 days but was increased 80% over control values (P < 0.05) by day 21. Serum vitamin D concentration declined progressively in treated animals, falling to 50% of control levels (P < 0.05) by day 5 and to 27% of control levels (P < 0.001) by day 21. At the point of maximal increase in serum 25OHD concentration, hepatic microsomal vitamin D3-25-hydroxylase activity was not increased in the treated animals whereas hepatic mitochondrial vitamin D3-25-hydroxylase activity was increased by 2.4-fold. Increased hepatic mitochondrial vitamin D3-25-hydroxylase activity persisted through 21 days of phenobarbital treatment. It is concluded that phenobarbital ad-