The early metabolic disturbances in the liver following ligation of the left hepatic or the common bile duct were studied in the rabbits. In the rabbits subjected to ligation of the left hepatic bile duct, the phosphorylative activity of the liver mitochondria in the ligated lobe decreased to about 50% of controls 48 h after the ligation, while that in the nonligated lobe increased 2-fold. These rabbits continued to live. On the other hand, in the rabbits subjected to ligation of the common bile duct, the mitochondrial phosphorylative activity increased slightly at 3 h after the ligation but fell rapidly thereafter. The mitochondrial free NAD+ to NADH ratios and hepatic energy charge (ATP+1/2ADP/ ATP+ADP+AMP) markedly decreased after the ligation. Most of these rabbits did not survive over 2 days. These results indicate that the metabolic disturbances in the jaundiced liver are due to an impairment of the oxidative phosphorylation. In addition, it is suggested that the maintenance of the energy balance by enhanced mitochondrial phosphorylative activity is readily impaired in the jaundiced liver.