Arthur A. Messier, Ph.D. Research Interests

Dr. Messier is conducting two major lines of research. The first employs animal models to observe the response of the central nervous system to spinal cord trauma. Using ELISA techniques, Dr. Messier measures levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and tumor necrosis factor receptors 1 and 2 (TNFR1 and TNFR2) in rats’ blood, CSF, spinal-cord tissue, and brain tissue one, three, and six hours after injury. Results suggest that TNFR1 rises after injury. He and Dr. Harrington plan to extend this study by evaluating potential new treatments for spinal cord injury.

The second project is testing whether sciatica stems, at least in part, from increased glutamate released during disc herniation. Despite the prevailing belief that sciatica results solely from compression of the dorsal root ganglia in the lumbar region, many people with pain at the L1 level have high glutamate levels. Dr. Messier is conducting behavioral tests in rats to determine whether an infusion of radiotagged glutamate heightens pain sensitivity. In addition, he is investigating known glutamate antagonists to see if they quell the pain.