Lipids and apolipoproteins in plasma VLDL, IDL, LDL, HDL2 and HDL3 isolated by one-step density gradient ultracentrifugation from 7 subjects with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) and 4 normalipemics were determined. HTG VLDL was enriched with cholesterol, and its triglyceride (TG), phospholipid (PL) and apo CII, CIII contents (mg/100 mg protein) were significantly higher than those in normal VLDL. ApoE content in HTG VLDL was prone to increasing, and apoB100 content had no apparent difference from that in normal VLDL. Compared with normal HDL2 and HDL3, the contents of total cholesterol (TC), apoAI, CII, and CIII in HTG HDL2, and apoCII, CIII in HTG HDL3 decreased. HTG HDL2 and HDL3 were rich in TG. By analysis of distribution of these lipids and apolipoproteins in various plasma lipoproteins, it was found that the abnormal composition of VLDL and HDL in HTG seemed to be a result of transport of TC, PL, and apoCII, CIII from HDL to VLDL. There was a significantly positive correlation between TC and apoAI, CII, CIII in HDL respectively, which indicated that apoCII and CIII were also associated with the alteration of HDL cholesterol. It is suggested that the elevated plasma VLDL-TG concentration in endogenous hypertriglyceridemia may induce abnormal redistribution of lipid and apolipoprotein among apoCII plasma lipoproteins, and and CIII may play an important role in these changes.