It has been contended that the metabolism of vitamin D in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) is different from that in Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). To investigate this possibility, the plasma concentration of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25[OH]2D) and several known determinants of its production rate were measured in SHR and WKY given normal and restricted amounts of dietary phosphorus. In 12-week-old male SHR given a normal amount of dietary phosphorus, the mean plasma concentration of 1,25(OH)2D (72 +/- 5 pg/ml) was significantly lower than that in age-matched WKY (129 +/- 6 pg/ml; p less than 0.001). The lower plasma concentration of 1,25(OH)2D in the SHR could not be attributed to higher circulating levels of inorganic phosphorus or ionized calcium, lower plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, or acidosis. However, in the SHR, urinary excretion of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (12.5 +/- 0.4 nmol/mg creatinine) was significantly lower than that in WKY (15.2 +/- 0.3 nmol/mg creatinine; p less than 0.001). In both SHR and WKY, restriction of dietary phosphorus for 1 week induced an increase in the plasma concentration of 1,25(OH)2D without affecting blood pressure. The current findings indicate that in 12-week-old male SHR, 1,25(OH)2D metabolism is different from that in age-matched WKY. The activity of 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1 alpha-hydroxylase, however, appears to be at least partially responsive to short-term restriction of dietary phosphorus. In SHR, the activity of 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1 alpha-hydroxylase may be lower than that in WKY, perhaps due in part to some impairment in the renal metabolism of, or responsiveness to, cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate.