A B S T R A C T To evaluate the role of vitamin D in the physiologic response to phosphorus depletion (P depleton) and the response to vitamin D administration in P depletion, we studied vitamin D-deficient (-D)
INTRODUCTIONWith dietary phosphorus restriction and the appearance of phosphorus depletion, several physiologic events consistently occur: These include a marked reduction in urinary phosphorus excretion, the appearance of hypophosphatemia, hypercalciuria, and, in certain species, the development of hypercalcemia (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). There is indirect evidence in animals (3, 6) and direct measurements in humans (7) suggesting that physiologic hypoparathyroidism develops during phosphate depletion. However, it has been shown that administration of parathyroid hormone does not modify renal phosphate conservation during phosphorus depletion (8,9) and only partially reduces the hypercalciuria (3).It