The role of calcitriol in the intestinal absorption of inorganic phosphate (Pi) during postnatal development was studied in newborn [<1 week postpartum (pp)], suckling (3-4 weeks pp), and weaned (>6 weeks pp) control piglets (con) and piglets suffering from inherited calcitriol deficiency (def). In addition, a number of def piglets were treated with vitamin D3 (def-D3). Regardless of age, plasma calcitriol concentrations in def piglets were unphysiologically low (16-21 pg/ml) and differed significantly from those in respective con animals (60-69 pg/ml) and vitamin D3-treated def piglets (50-56 pg/ml). However, newborn and suckling def piglets had normal Ca (approximately 3.0 mmol/liter) and Pi (approximately 2.8 mmol/liter) plasma levels. Def piglets became hypocalcemic (1.9 mmol/liter) and hypophosphatemic (1.9 mmol/liter) between 4-6 weeks pp. Treatment with vitamin D3 significantly increased plasma Ca (3.2 mmol/liter) and Pi (2.7 mmol/liter) levels in weaned def animals. Regardless of calcitriol status, net Pi flux rates (active Pi absorption, as determined with the in vitro Ussing-chamber technique) from the upper small intestines was maximal at birth [170-224 nmol/(cm2 x h)] and decreased by approximately 80% during the first week of life before remaining constant [30-50 nmol/(cm2 x h)] during the following development. In weaned def piglets, net Pi flux rates were significantly lower by about 80% compared with those in con animals. Treatment of def piglets with vitamin D3 had no effect in newborn and suckling animals but reconstituted net Pi flux rates to normal values at weaning age. Age-dependent and calcitriol-mediated changes in net Pi flux rates were paralleled by respective maximum velocity values of Na+-dependent Pi uptake across the brush border membrane of the enterocytes (newborn piglets, 1.9-2.2 nmol/(mg protein 10 sec); suckling piglets, 0.4-0.6 nmol/(mg protein x 10 sec); weaned piglets, 0.7, 0.3, and 0.7 nmol/(mg protein x 10 sec) in con, def, and def-D3 animals, respectively). These findings suggest that the apical Pi uptake represents the major rate-limiting step of the overall transepithelial Pi transport. At weaning, Na+/Pi transport across the intestinal brush-border membrane is clearly stimulated by calcitriol, but no significant effects of age or calcitriol on the Km values (0.5-0.7 mmol/liter) were observed. In conclusion, our findings reveal calcitriol-independent mechanisms for active intestinal Pi absorption during the neonatal and suckling periods. The onset of the classical calcitriol-dependent mechanism for active intestinal Pi absorption does not occur until weaning.