Takebe's study revealed that mice who received the treatment lived longer than the ones that didn't. The experiments showed that mammals could survive longer in low-oxygen situations when given oxygenated gas or liquid through their rectums.
However, it isn't an evolutionary adaptation for mammals like loaches and catfish.
Now, why is this study crucial?
It could provide options for treating patients who suffer respiratory failure.
Doctors opt for mechanical ventilation when a patient needs oxygen. In the process, a machine pushes air through the windpipe.
Another technique called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, wherein blood is pumped out of the body and reoxygenated with a machine, is also attempted. However, it carries the risk of bleeding and blood clots.
That's when Takebe considered the unusual but life-saving option.
In his former experiment, his team also eliminated barriers that could prevent oxygen uptake in the gut. They scraped the mice's mucosa, the innermost layer of the gastrointestinal tract, and then injected the gaseous oxygen into the animals.
If anything, this helped the rodents survive even longer. These mice stopped gasping for air and showed zero signs of cardiac arrest.
The researchers also tried delivering oxygen in liquid form, as mucosal removal could be uncomfortable for patients.
They added oxygen to perfluorodecalin, a chemical that can dissolve large amounts of oxygen. Upon injecting liquid into the mice's rectums, oxygen levels improved. The same holds when tested on pigs and rats.
