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World J Gastroenterol. Nov 7, 2026; 32(41): 121893
Published online Nov 7, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.121893
Published online Nov 7, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.121893
Spatiotemporal atlas of internal hemorrhoids in rats elucidated using integrated single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics
Wei-Gan Lin, Shu-Yan Huang, Hong Lan, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, Fujian Province, China
Xia-Xia Zheng, Xian-Bao Liu, Min-Hui Ke, Department of Proctology, The Second People’s Hospital Affiliated with Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350003, Fujian Province, China
Zhen-Guo Xu, Department of Pathology, The Second People’s Hospital Affiliated with Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350003, Fujian Province, China
Author contributions: Lin WG contributed to experimental design, manuscript writing, image collection and transcriptomic analysis; Huang SY and Lan H were responsible for animal modeling; Zheng XX, Liu XB, and Xu ZG conducted pathology analysis; Ke MH provided research guidance, manuscript review and obtained funding; and all authors thoroughly reviewed and endorsed the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: AI tools were used solely for linguistic refinement and formatting assistance. No AI tool was involved in the generation of research data or interpretation of results. All AI-generated outputs were critically reviewed and revised by the authors.
Supported by the General Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81774118; and the Medical Innovation Project of Fujian Provincial Health Commission, No. 2024CXB013.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: All procedures involving animals were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Fujian Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, approval No. FJACMS-PZ-20250016.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Data sharing statement: All experimental data of this study will be shared upon reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Min-Hui Ke, PhD, Chief Physician, Full Professor, Department of Proctology, The Second People’s Hospital Affiliated with Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 282 Wusi Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou 350003, Fujian Province, China. 48330132@qq.com
Received: April 7, 2026
Revised: May 11, 2026
Accepted: June 9, 2026
Published online: November 7, 2026
Processing time: 164 Days and 5.7 Hours
Revised: May 11, 2026
Accepted: June 9, 2026
Published online: November 7, 2026
Processing time: 164 Days and 5.7 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This study integrates single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to reveal spatiotemporal dynamics in rat internal hemorrhoids. Macrophages shift from pro-inflammatory to pro-reparative phenotypes, while fibroblasts differentiate into growth factor-regulated and profibrotic subsets, driving vascular remodeling. Cd74⁺ macrophages act as early inflammatory switches, activating Igfbp5⁺ fibroblasts/protomyofibroblasts via collagen–integrin interactions and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling, thus promoting vascular dilation, inflammation, and fibrosis. These findings provide novel insights into hemorrhoid progression from inflammation to extracellular matrix remodeling.