The hepatic canalicular membrane has transporters that play an important role as efflux pumps in the excretion of endogenous bile constituents or xenobiotics into bile canaliculi. To elucidate functional significance of canalicular transporters in the mechanism of cholestasis, mRNA expression levels of multidrug resistance (mdr) lb, mdr2 and canalicular multispecific organic anion transporter (cMOAT) genes were analyzed by Southern blotting of reverse‐transcribed PCR products of liver mRNA obtained from cholestatic rats that had been subjected to bile duct ligation. Both mdr1b and mdr2 mRNA expression increased after ligation. Immunohistochemical study revealed that the products of both mdr1b and mdr2 were present on the canaliculi, and that their levels increased after ligation. In contrast, cMOAT mRNA expression was not increased, but rather attenuated by ligation. The expression of canalicular transporters was differentially regulated in extrahepatic biliary obstruction, indicating the different roles are played by mdr and cMOAT in the pathogenesis of cholestasis.