We studied the comparative effects of HCl-induced metabolic acidemia (pH = 7.11 +/- 0.03, mean +/- SE) and hypoxemia (PO2 = 28 +/- 1 torr) on cardiac output and regional blood flows in newborn lambs 3 days after the surgical placement of catheters in the left atrium and aorta and pacing wires on the left atrium. Cardiac output decreased by 49 +/- 6% during metabolic acidemia in contrast to the 12 +/- 2% increase during hypoxemia. The adrenal glands and the diaphragm were the only organs that received increased blood flows during acidemia and hypoxemia. Cerebral and myocardial blood flows decreased during acidemia but increased during hypoxemia. Blood flows decreased to the carcass and gastrointestinal tract during acidemia but did not change significantly during hypoxemia. Renal and splenic blood flows decreased during both stresses, but the reductions were more severe during acidemia. The changes in regional blood flows were not a passive result of the respective changes in cardiac output. HCl-induced metabolic acidemia and hypoxemia each result in significant redistributions of available blood flows which are quantitatively and qualitatively different from each other.