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Faculty Detail Faculty Entry   
Name JOSEPH L MESSINA  
Campus Address VH G019 Zip 0019
Phone 205-934-4921
E-mail messinaj@uab.edu" id="FacultyDetail1EmailAddress"><a href="mailto:messinaj@uab.edu">messinaj@uab.edu</a>
URL
 
 

Department Affiliations(s)
Appointment Type Department Division Rank
Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center Professor
Center  Medicine  Comprehensive Diabetes Ctr Professor
Center  Cell, Developmntl, & Integrative Biology  Ctr for Exercise Medicine Professor
Center  Medicine  Med - Cardiovascular Disease Professor
Primary  Pathology   Joint Pathology Professor
Secondary  Cell, Developmntl, & Integrative Biology  Cell, Developmntl, & Integrative Biology Professor

Biographical Sketch 
Dr. Messina received his BA degree from Dartmouth College and his Ph.D. in Endocrine Physiology from the University of Michigan Medical School. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology. His academic career includes President of the Graduate Faculty Organization (1987-1989) and Director of the Cell and Molecular Biology Program, at the SUNY Health Science Center (1992-1994). At UAB, Directorship of the Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Pathology and the Department of Genomics and Pathobiology (2001-2003), Directorship of the Pathology Research and Education Program (PREP, 1999-2003), a member of the UAB Graduate Council and of the UAB Graduate Dean's New Program Committee. He is currently a Scientist in the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Clinical Nutrition Research Center and the Center for Surgical Research.

Society Memberships
Organization Name Position Held Org Link
American Diabetes Association  Member; National Review Board   
The Endocrine Society  Member   
The Shock Society  Member; Membership Committee   
 

Research/Clinical Interest
Title
Insulin and Growth Hormone (GH) Action, Insulin and GH Resistance Following Trauma and Infection
Description
Disease states, such as diabetes, cancer and stresses such as infection, sepsis and surgical trauma are characterized by changes in cellular metabolism and function. These changes are often preceded by the development of resistance to insulin and/or growth hormone (GH) and by alterations in the expression of a number of genes important for regulation of key steps in cellular metabolism. Our main interests are the underlying mechanisms by which hormones and growth factors act and interact to regulate cellular metabolism and gene expression. Recent studies indicate that changes in the responsiveness to insulin and growth hormone may be important in aiding survival of patients following surgery, trauma, burns and infection. We are exploring the development of insulin and GH resistance and the interaction between insulin, GH, and the proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-1 beta) in cultured cells and in the liver, heart, muscle and fat of animal models of infection, injury, hemorrhage, diabetes and obesity. These studies are important if we are to understand the role of these hormones in normal physiology and growth, in diseases such as diabetes, in hormone-dependent cancers, and in the recovery following surgery, trauma, burns and infection

Postdoc Positions Available
Date Posted Position Title
01/29/2004  Regulation of insulin or growth hormone responsiveness following infection, trauma, and hemorrhage. 
Regulation of insulin or growth hormone responsiveness following infection, trauma, and hemorrhage.   
 

Selected Publications 
Publication PUBMEDID
Jiang, S. and Messina, J.L. Role of tissue macrophages in the development of critical illness diabetes. (2012) Shock, 37: 70-76.   21841539 
Jiang, S. and Messina, J.L. Role of inhibitory &#954;B kinase and c-Jun N-terminal kinase in hepatic insulin resistance in critical illness diabetes. (2011) Am. J. Physiol., 301: G454-G463.   21680774 
Zhai, L., Ballinger, S.W., and Messina, J.L. Role of reactive oxygen species in injury-induced hepatic insulin resistance. (2011) Molecular Endocrinology, 25(3): 492-502.  21239612 
Jiang, S., Gavrikova, T.A., Pereboev, A., and Messina, J.L. Adenovirus infection results in alterations of insulin signaling and glucose homeostasis. (2010) Am. J. Physiol., 298: E1295-E1304.   20388825 
Li, L. and Messina, J.L. Acute insulin resistance following injury. (2009) Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, 20: 429-435.  19800814 
Zhai, L. and Messina, J.L. Age and tissue specific differences in the development of acute insulin resistance following injury. (2009) J. Endocrinology, 203: p365-374.  19752148 
Liu, J., Wu, X., Franklin, J.L., Messina, J.L., Hill, H.S., Moellering, D.D., Martin, M. and Garvey, W.T. Mammalian tribbles homolog TRB3 impairs insulin action in skeletal muscle: Role in glucose-induced insulin resistance. (2010) Am. J. Physiol., 298: E565-E576.  19996382 
Xu, J. and Messina, J.L. Crosstalk between growth hormone and insulin signaling. (2009) Vitamins and Hormones 80: 125-153.   19251037 
Li, L., Thompson, L.H., Kim, H.T., Zhao, L., Kokorina, N., and Messina, J.L. Differential molecular mechanisms for hepatic and skeletal muscle acute insulin resistance following trauma and hemorrhage. (2009) Endocrinology, 150: 24-32.   18801909 
Thompson, L.H., Kim, H.T., Ma, Y., Kokorina, N., and Messina, J.L. Acute muscle-type specific insulin resistance following injury. (2008) Molecular Medicine, 14: 715-723.   18801909 
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Keywords
Insulin, Growth Hormone, Signal Transduction, Gene Expression, Stress, Resistance, Trauma, Infection

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