Plasma inorganic phosphate (Pi) and Pi reabsorption were compared in intact and chronically thyroparathyroidectomized (TPTX) rats stabilized on a high or low-phosphorus diet after volume expansion with equivalent sodium bicarbonate or sodium chloride. Phosphate infusion after sodium chloride-loading resulted in greater hyperphosphatemia and diminished phosphaturia in TPTX rats than intact high-phosphorus rats. After sodium bicarbonate-loading, however, there was no difference between intact and TPTX high-phosphorus animals because bicarbonate inhibited Pi reabsorption extensively in both. In contrast, phosphate infusion after sodium chloride-loading in phosphorus-deprived rats elicited greater degrees of hyperphosphatemia and increased Pi reabsorption, irrespective of the presence or absence of the parathyroids. Sodium bicarbonate-loading inhibited Pi reabsorption significantly less in phosphorus-deprived rats than in high-phosphorus animals. Paradoxically, this inhibitory effect of bicarbonate in phosphorus depletion was greater in TPTX rats than in intact animals. Therefore, the presence of the parathyroids did not interfere with Pi reabsorption during phosphate infusion in sodium bicarbonate-loaded phosphorus-deprived rats. Sodium bicarbonate-loading interfered with Pi reabsorption most prominently in phosphorus-deprived rats when the parathyroids were absent.