The effect of isotopic substitution of the 8-H of xanthine (with 2H and 3H) on the rate of oxidation by bovine xanthine oxidase and by chicken xanthine dehydrogenase has been measured. V/K isotope effects were determined from competition experiments. No difference in H/T(V/K) values was observed between xanthine oxidase (3.59 +/- 0.1) and xanthine dehydrogenase (3.60 +/- 0.09). Xanthine dehydrogenase exhibited a larger T/D(V/K) value (0.616 +/- 0.028) than that observed for xanthine oxidase (0.551 +/- 0.016). Observed H/T(V/K) values for either enzyme are less than those H/T(V/K) values calculated with D/T(V/K) data. These discrepancies are suggested to arise from the presence of a rate-limiting step(s) prior to the irreversible C-H bond cleavage step in the mechanistic pathways of both enzymes. These kinetic complexities preclude examination of whether tunneling contributes to the reaction coordinate for the H-transfer step in each enzyme. No observable exchange of tritium with solvent is observed during the anaerobic incubation of [8-3H]xanthine with either enzyme, which suggests the reverse commitment to catalysis (Cr) is essentially zero. With the assumption of adherence to reduced mass relationships, the intrinsic deuterium isotope effect (Dk) for xanthine oxidation is calculated to be 7.4 +/- 0.7 for xanthine oxidase and 4.2 +/- 0.2 for xanthine dehydrogenase. By use of these values and steady-state kinetic data, the minimal rate for the hydrogen-transfer step is calculated to be approximately 75-fold faster than kcat for xanthine oxidase and approximately 10-fold faster than kcat for xanthine dehydrogenase. This calculated rate is consistent with data obtained by rapid-quench experiments with XO. A stoichiometry of 1.0 +/- 0.3 mol of uric acid/mol of functional enzyme is formed within the mixing time of the instrument (5-10 ms). The kinetic isotope effect data also permitted the calculation of the Kd values [Klinman, J. P., & Mathews, R. G. (1985) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 107, 1058-1060] for substrate dissociation, including all reversible steps prior to C-H bond cleavage. Values calculated for each enzyme (Kd = 120 microM) were found to be identical within experimental uncertainty.