R. Alberto Travagli, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Associate Professor of Physiology B.S., Gonzaga Lyceum, Milan, Italy, 1978 Ph.D., Ferrara University, Ferrara, Italy, 1985 Ph.D., Georgetown University, 1993 6520 MSRB I (734) 615-9798 travagli@umich.edu Visit the Travagli lab website

Current Research: 

The interest of my lab is focused on the cellular mechanisms underlying the central control of gastrointestinal functions.

We are using a combination of in vitro electrophysiological techniques (whole cell patch clamp in thin slices and in primary neuronal cultures of rat brainstem), in vivo techniques (microinjections and extracellular
recordings) and immunocytochemical techniques to study the characteristics of neurones of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) and the nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS), i.e. the motor and sensory vagal nuclei, respectively. These studies aim to elucidate the cellular mechanisms underlying the control that the central nervous system exerts on the physiological functions of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Our main hypothesis is that the DMV and the NTS comprise neuronal subpopulations that are organized such that neurones subserving similar functions can be distinguished based on morphological, electrophysiological and pharmacological properties.

Representative Publications:

Browning KN, Kalyuzhny AE, Travagli RA. Opioid peptides inhibit excitatory but not inhibitory synaptic transmission in the rat dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV). J. Neurosci. 22 (8) 2998-3004; 2002.

Lewis MW, Hermann GE, Rogers RC and Travagli RA. In vitro and in vivo analysis of the effects of Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF) on rat dorsal vagal complex. J. Physiol. 543.1: 135-143; 2002.

Guo J, Browning KN, Rogers RC, Travagli RA. Catecholaminergic neurons in rat dorsal motor nucleus of vagus project selectively to gastric corpus. Am. J. Physiol. 280: G361-G367; 2001.

Browning KN, Travagli RA. The peptide TRH uncovers the presence of presynaptic 5-HT1A receptors via activation of a second messenger pathway in the rat dorsal vagal complex. J. Physiol. (London). 531 (2): 425-435; 2001.

Browning KN, Travagli RA. Mechanism of action of baclofen in the rat dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV). Am. J. Physiol. 280: G1106-G1113; 2001.

Lewis MW, Travagli RA. Effects of Substance P (SP) on identified neurons of the rat dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV). Am. J. Physiol. 281: G164-G172, 2001.

Travagli RA, Rogers RC. Receptors and transmission in the brain-gut axis: potential for novel therapies. V. Fast and slow extrinsic modulation of dorsal vagal complex circuits. Am. J. Physiol. 281: G595-G601, 2001.

Ferreira M, Browning KN, Sahibzada N, Verbalis J, Gillis RA, Travagli RA. Glucose as a modulator of brainstem vagal neurocircuits controlling gastric functions. J.Physiol. (London) 536 (1) 141-152; 2001.

Back to list of faculty