A bstract. To examine the role of vitamin D in the renal tubular handling of calcium, clearance studies were performed in three groups of rats: group A rats fed a standard vitamin D-deficient diet (Ca 0.45%, P 0.3%) for 6 wk, were hypocalcemic with secondary hyperparathyroidism; group B rats fed the same diet as in group A but with high calcium (Ca 1.4%) and 20% lactose, were normocalcemic and without secondary hyperparathyroidism; group C rats fed the same diet as in group A but supplemented with 25 U of vitamin D3 orally twice a week, were normocalcemic, vitamin D-replete, and euparathyroid. After thyroparathyroidectomy (TPTX), each rat was infused intravenously with an electrolyte solution that contained a fixed concentration of calcium (0-30 mM) with or without parathyroid hormone (PTH; 0.75 or 2.5 U/h) at a rate of 3 ml/h. Urinary calcium excretion and serum calcium concentrations were measured between 16 and 19 h of the infusion, and the apparent threshold of calcium excretion was determined.The threshold of calcium excretion was lower in vitamin D-deficient TPTX rats (groups A and B) than in vitamin D-replete TPTX rats (group C), and not different between group A and group B. Administration of PTH at a dose of 0.75 U/h increased the threshold of calcium excretion by -0.6 mM in group C, but did not alter the threshold either in group A or group B. Administration