Rhein decreased urinary albumin excretion, extracellular matrix level, and TGF-β1 and FN expression in renal tissue and also reduced the plasma levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and ApoE in db/db mice with diabetic nephropathy (DN) [72]. This evidence concerns the gene FN1 and diabetic kidney disease.