Researchers are exploring whether oxygen can be delivered through the intestines to boost oxygen levels during emergency medical procedures

10:31, Fri, Dec 5, 2025 Updated: 10:36, Fri, Dec 5, 2025

Ventilator monitor ,given oxygen by intubation tube to patient, setting in ICU/Emergency room

Dr Takanori Takebe says he was shocked by how invasive hooking up a ventilator can be (Image: seksan Mongkhonkhamsao via Getty Images)

Medical professionals are earnestly investigating whether humans can absorb oxygen through their bottoms.

Scientists at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and the University of Osaka have been testing 'rectal breathing' as a method to increase oxygen levels when traditional lung function proves insufficient.

The mastermind behind this concept, Dr Takanori Takebe, revealed he was alarmed by the invasive nature of ventilator procedures after witnessing his father's pneumonia treatment, according to Science News.

Drawing inspiration from certain creatures that absorb oxygen through their skin, reproductive organs or digestive systems, Takanori realised that the human intestinal tract contains abundant blood vessels (which explains why enemas can deliver medication into the bloodstream).

He theorised that oxygen might similarly transfer from the intestines into the body, leading him to devise an enema-style treatment that delivers oxygen-rich liquid through the rectum, which he tested on mice and pigs, reports the Daily Star.

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This pioneering research earned a 2024 Ig Nobel Prize, the tongue-in-cheek scientific honour, which Takebe collected whilst sporting a loach hat and remarking: "Thank you so much for believing in the potential of the anus."

Nevertheless, he remained undaunted, and the treatment has now progressed to human trials.

Twenty-seven Japanese men received oxygen-free enemas to establish the maximum volume of liquid participants could endure over one hour.

A handful of participants reported experiencing stomach discomfort, although the majority coped reasonably well, despite some bloating and minor uneasiness.

The subsequent phase of trials will establish whether oxygen can successfully reach its target destination.

Should it pass clinical testing, rectal breathing could serve as a temporary, emergency supplement - perhaps during ambulance journeys or as a stopgap during medical procedures - rather than replacing ventilators entirely.

Pulmonary critical care specialist Kevin Gibbs told Science News: "It definitely raised my eyebrows. As someone who treats a lot of people who have low oxygen levels, I tend to think of myself as an above-the-waist doctor."

However, delivering oxygen through the rear passage - if proven effective - could prove valuable in certain situations, he notes.

When medics need to insert a tube down someone's throat to connect them to a ventilator, for example, that procedure lasting several minutes can subject patients to perilously low oxygen concentrations.

Gibbs remarked: "What I find exciting is if this drug works ... maybe you can administer this, and then all of the sudden they have this real boost in oxygen for the time it takes you to safely put someone on life support - and that would be huge."