Pigs can breathe their butts, somehow, and it’s a big deal

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A new discovery on mammals and their potential ability to “breathe” through their rectum in the intestines paved the way for a new potential way to treat humans with severe respiratory problems. The research comes from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University and Cincinnati Medical Center, revealing that pigs and rodents are both capable of “intestinal breathing”.

The discovery seems absurd, but it is not unprecedented. Some aquatic organisms, including catfish and sea cucumbers, can use their intestines to breathe in situations that call it. This new study discovered that pigs, rats and mice can use intestinal respiration with increased survival probability in an extremely low oxygen environment.

The study involved the development of a ventilation system of intestinal gas, used to pump pure oxygen through the rectum and in the intestines of mice. These mice were placed in an extremely low oxygen environment – the type that would cause death without additional oxygen – and 75% of them survived for 50 minutes with the intestinal breathing apparatus.

However, there was a disadvantage of this system, however that the gas ventilation apparatus caused an “abrasion of the intestinal mucosa”, which means that it would not be a reasonable option to use with patients with affected patients of illness. To solve this problem, the researchers proposed a different option: oxygenated perfluorochemicals in a liquid.

Oxygenated liquid has been found that pigs and rodents in low oxygen environments, with more oxygen reaching their hearts. Similarly, their oxygen levels have increased, reduced coldness and mice have been able to walk further in the low oxygen chamber. The results have suggested potential future applications for humans.

The main author of the Takanori Takebe study explained:

The recent SARS-COV-2 pandemic is overwhelming the clinical need for artificial fans and lungs, resulting in a critical scarcity of available devices and endangers patients’ lives around the world. The level of arterial oxygenation provided by our ventilation system, if it is probably sufficient to treat patients with severe respiratory failure, potentially offering life backup oxygenation.