Japan, U.S. Scientists Win Ig Nobel Prize For Study On Anal Breathing

A team of 11 Japanese and US scientists won the Ig Nobel Prize in physiology for having discovered that many mammals can breathe through their intestines, including via the anus, Kyodo News reported.

Team leader Takanori Takebe, a professor at Tokyo Medical and Dental University, said that he hopes the findings will eventually aid in treating people with respiratory problems. I Photo: Kyodo

Team leader Takanori Takebe, a professor at Tokyo Medical and Dental University, said that he hopes the findings will eventually aid in treating people with respiratory problems.

The Ig Nobel Awards, presented by the Annals of Improbable Research magazine, recognize studies that "make people laugh and then make them think." This marks the 18th consecutive year that a Japanese national has received an Ig Nobel prize.

The researchers initially focused on loaches, a fish species that can breathe through its intestines in low-oxygen environments such as mud.

Through experiments with mice and pigs suffering from respiratory diseases, they found that administering oxygen-rich liquid into the rectum helped alleviate symptoms, supporting their hypothesis that intestines can absorb oxygen. Their study was published in the journal Med in 2021.