To assess genetic variation of murine lipoprotein profiles, plasma lipoproteins of 11 inbred strains, AKR/J, BALB/cByJ, C3H/HeJ, C57BL/6J, C57BL/6ByJ, C57L/J, DBA/1LacJ, 129/J, NZB/B1NJ, PL/J, and SWR/J, were analyzed by gel-permeation chromatography (fast peptide liquid chromatography) and nondenaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Vena caval blood was drawn after 18 to 20 hours of fasting. Plasma triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations ranged from 12.9 mg/dL (C57BL/6ByJ) to 66.9 mg/dL (C3H/HeJ) and from 54.8 mg/dL (AKR/J) to 128.5 mg/dL (NZB/B1NJ), respectively. Mouse strain-related heterogeneities of very low-, low-, and high-density lipoprotein (VLDL, LDL, and HDL, respectively) concentrations were documented; VLDL-triglyceride concentrations ranged from 7.5 mg/dL to 38.8 mg/dL, LDL cholesterol from 12.0 mg/dL to 39.6 mg/dL, and HDL cholesterol from 41.3 mg/dL to 92.4 mg/dL. Hyper-VLDL-triglyceridemia was present in C3H/HeJ and SWR/J strains and hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia in NZB/B1NJ, C3H/HeJ, and DBA/1LacJ. VLDL cholesterol/VLDL triglyceride ratios also ranged widely among strains (0.13 to 0.43), with C57BL/6J, C57BL/6ByJ, and C57L/J, the strains particularly susceptible to diet-induced atherosclerosis, having the highest VLDL-lipid ratio. LDL and HDL size heterogeneities were also observed. LDL and HDL diameters ranged between 24.1 nm and 29.4 nm, and between 9.24 nm and 10.32 nm, respectively. Although LDL sizes showed no segregation, HDL sizes fell into two groups. C57L/J and C57BL/6J possessed low HDL-cholesterol concentrations and small-sized HDL. HDL sizes were positively correlated with HDL-cholesterol concentrations (r = .90, P less than .001) and LDL-cholesterol concentrations (r = .85, P less than .001), but LDL sizes did not correlate with lipoprotein concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)