The effect of dietary lactose, when compared with glucose, on phosphorus-induced nephrocalcinosis was studied in young, female rats. Nephrocalcinogenic diets containing either 0.4 or 0.6% (w/w) phosphorus were used, and lactose was added up to concentrations of 30%. The diets were fed for 28 days. The 0.4 and 0.6% phosphorus diets, when compared with a diet containing 0.2% phosphorus, caused mild and severe kidney calcification, respectively; kidney calcification was demonstrated chemically by the analysis of kidney calcium, and histologically by staining kidney slides for calcium deposits. Dietary lactose caused calciuria, decreased urinary pH and increased cecum weights. The addition of lactose to the diet partly counteracted nephrocalcinogenesis induced by diets containing 0.4% phosphorus, but it did not influence the severity of nephrocalcinosis seen in rats fed diets containing 0.6% phosphorus. It is suggested that high amounts of lactose in the diet have only weak anti-nephrocalcinogenic activity.