The accepted normal pH of 7.40 may not be optimal at lower temperatures. This study evaluated the effect of maintaining pH in the accepted normal range at hypothermia (group 1, pH stat) or at normothermia (group 2, alpha stat) on organ blood flow and hemodynamics in dogs. The desired pH was achieved at all temperatures by adjusting pCO2. Hypothermia to 20 degrees C was induced by high flow bypass in both groups followed by 45 min of reduced flow before rewarming. In group 1 (n = 10), pH was 7.45 +/- 0.02 at 20 degrees C and in group 2 (n = 11) it was 7.64 +/- 0.01. A greater base excess developed by the end of the low flow period in pH stat animals (-9.4 +/- 1.1 vs -2.8 +/- 0.8, P less than .001) and resulted in continued acidosis after rewarming in the pH stat group compared to those in the alpha stat group (7.32 +/- 0.03 vs 7.38 +/- 0.01, P less than .02). Expressed as a percentage of baseline, regional blood flows after rewarming for group 1 were: brain 112 +/- 8%, renal cortex 48 +/- 8% (P less than 0.005, rewarm vs baseline), renal medulla 36 +/- 9% (P less than 0.005, rewarm vs baseline), epicardium 198 +/- 40% (P less than 0.05, rewarm vs baseline), endocardium 151 +/- 25%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)