To determine whether calcium transport across rat cecum is vitamin D dependent, we measured in vitro bidirectional calcium fluxes under short-circuited conditions across cecum from rats that were vitamin D deficient, vitamin D replete, or vitamin D deficient or vitamin D replete and injected with either 10, 25, or 75 ng of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] daily for 4 days before study. Vitamin D deficiency decreased net calcium absorption (Jnet) by reducing the mucosal-to-serosal absorptive flux (Jm----s) from 168 +/- 18 to 33 +/- 5 nmol X cm-2 X h-1 (mean +/- SE, P less than 0.0001). Twenty-five nanograms of 1,25(OH)2D3 raised Jm----s to 124 +/- 17 nmol X cm-2 X h-1, not different from values in vitamin D-replete rats. Although active calcium absorption by cecum appears to respond to vitamin D, calcium Jm----s is near maximal under normal conditions, and further stimulation follows only pharmacological doses of 1,25(OH)2D3. The in vitro addition of the calcium channel blocker verapamil (5 X 10(-5) M) to the mucosal side of cecum from vitamin D-replete rats reduced calcium Jm----s, but lower concentrations of verapamil or nitrendipine (10(-5) to 10(-9) M) did not reduce calcium Jm----s. The lack of inhibition by low concentrations of channel blockers suggest that the plasma membrane channels for calcium translocation across intestinal epithelium may not be analogous to voltage-dependent calcium channels in excitable tissue. The inhibition of cecal calcium transport that was blocked by high concentrations of verapamil may represent a nonspecific effect of the agent.