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Department of Physiology - The University of Arizona

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Ralph Fregosi
Ralph Fregosi

Ralph Fregosi

Professor

Contact Information

Address: 93 Gittings 119c
PO Box 210093
Tucson, AZ 85721-0093
Phone: (520) 621-2203
Email: fregosi@email.arizona.edu


Website: http://www.physiology.arizona.edu/labs/rnlab/

Research Interests

Ralph F. Fregosi                                              Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1985

Professor of Physiology

 

Regulation of Breathing (Description of the laboratory and ongoing research projects can be found at: http://www.physiol.arizona.edu/RNLab/index.html.  Key Words: physiology, neurophysiology, biomedicine).

 

The goal of our research is to understand how the nervous system controls the muscles of breathing.  Under this umbrella, our studies are divided into three main areas:

 

1.  We are interested in the role of inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmission in respiratory rhythm generation.  Specifically, how these receptors are altered throughout development, and with prenatal nicotine exposure; these studies relate directly to neonatal breathing instability, including the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).  Studies are done using the in vitro brain stem spinal cord preparation of neonatal rat, and are buttressed by parallel in vivo studies. 

·        Fregosi, RF, Luo, Z and Iizuka, M.  GABAA receptors mediate postnatal depression of respiratory frequency by barbiturates.  Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology. 140: 219-230, 2004.

·        Yu-Hsien Huang, Amanda Brown, Seres Costy-Bennett, Zili Luo, Ralph F. Fregosi.  Influence of prenatal nicotine exposure on postnatal development of breathing pattern.  Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology.  143:1-8, 2004.

·        Zili Luo, Seres Costy-Bennett and Ralph F. Fregosi.  Prenatal nicotine exposure increases the strength of GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition of respiratory rhythm in neonatal rats. Journal of Physiology, London.  561: 387-393, 2004.

 

2.  Neural control of “upper airway muscles”.  These muscles line the external nares, the pharynx and the larynx, and are innervated by cranial nerves. Upper airway muscles control the resistance to airflow through the nasal, pharyngeal and laryngeal airways, which are responsible for regulating airflow resistance; malfunction of these muscles is implicated in diseases such as sleep apnea.

·        Mateika, J.H., E.G. Essif, C. Dello'Russo, and R.F. Fregosi.  Contractile properties of human nasal dilator motor units.  Journal of  Neurophysiology.  79:  371-378, 1998.

·        Janssen , P.L., J.S. Williams and R.F. Fregosi.  Consequences of periodic augmented breaths on tongue muscle activities in hypoxic rats. Journal of Applied Physiology. 88: 1915-1923, 2000.  Selected as a "Highlighted Topic" for the May, 2000 issue of the Journal.

·        Bailey, E.F., C.L. Jones, J.C. Reeder, D.D. Fuller and R.F. Fregosi.  Influence of pulmonary stretch receptor feedback and CO2 on upper airway and respiratory pump muscle activities in the rat. Journal of Physiology. London.  532: 525-534, 2001.

·        E. Fiona Bailey and Ralph F Fregosi.  Coordination of intrinsic and extrinsic tongue muscles during spontaneous breathing in the rat.  Journal of Applied Physiology. 96: 440-449, 2004.

 

3.  Neural control of breathing and pharyngeal geometry in children with sleep disordered breathing. 

·        Fregosi RF, Quan SF, Kaemingk KL, Rosen GM, Morgan WJ, J Goodwin, R. Cabrera and A Gmitro.  Sleep-disordered breathing, pharyngeal size and soft tissue anatomy in children.  Journal of Applied Physiology. 95: 2030-2038, 2003.

·        Kaemingk, KL, A.E. Pasvogel, J.L. Goodwin, S.A. Mulvaney, F. Martinez, P.L. Enright, G.M. Rosen, W.J. Morgan, R.F. Fregosi and S.F. Quan.  Learning and memory in children with sleep disordered breathing: Findings of the Tucson Children’s Assessment of Sleep Apnea (TuCASA) Prospective Cohort Study.  Journal of International Neuropsychological Society 9: 1016-1026, 2003.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laboratory website

Visit the Respiratory Neurophysiology Laboratory at http://www.physiology.arizona.edu/labs/rnlab/

Graduate Program Affiliations

Neuroscience

Physiological Sciences

Publications

Bailey EF Huang YH Fregosi RF. Nov 2006. Anatomic consequences of intrinsic tongue muscle activation. J Appl Physiol, 101:1377-85

Fregosi RF Quan SF Morgan WL Goodwin JL Cabrera R Shareif I Fridel KW Bootzin RR. Sep 2006. Pharyngeal critical pressure in children with mild sleep-disordered breathing. J Appl Physiol, 101:734-9

Bailey EF Fregosi RF. Aug 2006. Modulation of upper airway muscle activities by bronchopulmonary afferents. J Appl Physiol, 101:609-17

Fregosi RF, Quan SF. Dec 2005. MRI of pharyngeal airway in children with sleep-disordered breathing. J Appl Physiol, 99:2470; author reply 2

John J, Bailey EF, Fregosi RF. Sep 2005. Respiratory Related Discharge of Genioglossus Muscle Motor Units. Am J Respir Crit Care Med,2005 Sep 1;

Bailey EF, Janssen PL, Fregosi RF. Mar 2005. PO2 Dependent Changes in Intrinsic and Extrinsic Tongue Muscle Activities in the Rat. Am J Respir Crit Care Med,2005 Mar 18;

Luo Z, Costy-Bennett S, Fregosi RF. Dec 2004. Prenatal nicotine exposure increases the strength of GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition of respiratory rhythm in neonatal rats. J Physiol, 561:387-93

Fregosi RF. Dec 2004. Castrating the respiratory controller. J Physiol, 561:353

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