Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a generalized aminoaciduria which has been shown to be independent of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and urinary cyclic AMP excretion. To further characterize the mechanism underlying the tubulopathy, weanling rats were placed on one of the following diets for 5 weeks: (1) control [0.7% phosphorus (P), 5.5 micrograms % vitamin D]; (2) D-P- (0.1% P, 0 vitamin D); (3) D+P- (0.1% P, 5.5 micrograms % vitamin D); (4) D-P+ (0.3% P, 0 vitamin D); (5) D-P++ (0.7% P, 0 vitamin D). All diets contained 1.2% calcium (Ca). A group of rats raised on D-P++ for 4 weeks were fed D-P- for 7 days after which they received 500 pmol of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3; SUPP] or an equal volume of the vehicle (ETH). The above diets resulted in partial vitamin D depletion in that 1,25(OH)2D levels were 50.25-79 pg/ml in the presence of very low 25(OH)D concentrations. Augmentation in the urinary excretion of 6 out of 8 amino acids measured was observed in P depletion irrespective of vitamin D status. For the most part, acute supplementation with 1,25(OH)2D3 did not ameliorate the tubulopathy. Plasma PTH and Ca concentrations remained normal in all diets, except D+P-, where plasma Ca was 15.88 +/- 0.54 mg/dl. P depletion was associated with hypercalciuria, hypophosphatemia, avid reabsorption of P and growth retardation, irrespective of vitamin D status. Using taurine as a representative of the amino affected, there was a strong correlation between urinary taurine on the one hand and dietary P content (r = 0.613), plasma P (r = 0.399) and 1,25(OH)2D levels (r = -0.576) on the other. The present study suggests that the aminoaciduria of vitamin D deficiency is not related to elevated levels of PTH. A similar defect may be produced by P depletion, suggesting the possibility of a common pathway for the effect.