We previously showed that recurrent calcium renal stone formers have enhanced urinary excretions of calcium and oxalate resulting from malabsorption of citrate. In the present investigation, the mechanism of the citrate-induced increased calcium uptake was studied using guinea pig ileal brush border membrane vesicles. In this model, calcium is absorbed in a concentration dependent, single mechanism uptake with a Km of 275 +/- 30 umol/liter (SD) and a Vmax of 4.0 +/- 0.5 nmol/min.mg protein. Under conditions of maximal calcium uptake, both citrate and phosphate inhibited calcium absorption into brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs). In contrast, when phosphate and citrate were added together, calcium absorption normalized. Citrate inhibition of calcium absorption appeared to be due to free citrate ions, and phosphate ions overcame this inhibition. Phosphate inhibition was mostly due to decreased concentrations of ionized calcium and partly to precipitation of insoluble calcium phosphate. These studies confirm that the effects of citrate in humans in enhancing calcium absorption occur in the lumen of the gut and are not related to further biochemical conversions of citrate by the gut cells, to effects of citrate on calcium-related hormones, or to the renal handling of calcium. Also, the effects of citrate on increasing calcium absorption should be increased or attenuated in patients who malabsorb citrate, and this explains the increased urinary calcium and oxalate excretions reported for recurrent calcium stone formers.