SummaryEpidemiological studies have found plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels to be predictive of cardiovascular disease in adults. To date, regular aerobic modes of exercise have been associated with favourable alterations in lipid and lipoprotein levels. However, the effect of resistance training on lipid and lipoprotein levels is inconclusive and conflicting. Therefore, the aim of this study was to provide some clarity on whether resistance training could be used to improve sedentary male smokers’ lipoprotein profiles.The study made use of a pre-test, a treatment period and a post-test. Subjects were placed into one of two groups, namely, a resistance-training (RES) group (n = 13) or a control (CON) group (n = 12). Throughout the 16-week experimental period the CON group received no treatment whatsoever. After resistance training, serum triglyceride levels were significantly decreased by 18.42% from 1.162 mmol/l (± 0.476) to 0.831 mmol/l (± 0.058) (p = 0.038) in the RES group. However, resistance training was found to have no impact on any of the other measured lipid and lipoprotein measures.In conclusion, these findings indicate that resistance training appears to have no significant effect on lipid and lipoprotein profiles in sedentary male smokers and therefore cannot prevent the advance of CAD.

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The porphyrin precursors beta-aminolevulinic acid (beta-ALA) and porphobilinogen (PBG) which accumulate, and are excreted in the urine in increased amounts during acute attacks of porphyria, were tested for their effects on reflex activity in the isolated hemisected spinal cords of Xenopus laevis. The two compounds were found to exert an inhibitory effect on monosynaptic ventral root responses, as well as on dorsal root responses (DRR) and dorsal root potentials (DRP). The latent period for inhibition of the monosynaptic response was longer than that for the DRR and DRP. The sensitivity of the preparations to the effect of the porphyrin precursors was subject to some seasonal variation. BETA-ALA and PBG did not effect conduction in isolated sciatic nerves at a concentration of 1 mg/ml.