[en] The reactions of the adduct of pyruvate and thiamine, lactylthiamin (2-(lact-2-yl)thiamine), are accurate nonenzymic models for reactions of intermediates formed during catalysis by pyruvate decarboxylase. The enzymatic reaction generates lactylthiamin diphosphate from pyruvate and thiamine diphosphate. β-Deuterium isotope effects were determined for the nonenzymic reactions, and the results were related to isotope effects on the enzymic reaction. 2-(Lact-2-yl-β-d₃) thiamine was prepared by condensation of methyl pyruvate-d₃ with thiamine followed by hydrolysis. The isotope effect for decarboxylation of lactylthiamin in acidic solution at 25⁰C (k/sub H3//k/sub D3/) is 1.09 (standard deviation (SD) 0.015) in pH 3.8, 0.5 M sodium acetate: isotope effect = 1.095 (SD 0.014) in 0.001 M HCl. The reaction was also studied using 38% ethanolic aqueous sodium acetate (pH 3.8 before mixing with ethanol) since the enzymic sites are less polar than water and the reaction is significantly accelerated by the cosolvent. The isotope effect is within statistical range of that for the reaction in water, 1.105 (SD 0.016), indicating that acceleration by the solvent does not change the extent of hyperconjugative stabilization of the transition state relative to the ground state. The isotope effect for the base-catalyzed elimination of pyruvate from lactylthiamin was determined from kinetic studies by using multiwavelength analysis for reactions in pH 11 sodium carbonate solution. The isotope effect (k/sub H3//k/sub D3/) is 1.12 (SD 0.01), which is slightly higher than the effect on decarboxylation