SMAD7 and liver dysplastic nodule: The subsequent mechanism study showed that EGB could suppress rat mesangial cells hypertrophy and ECM accumulation through decreasing Smad2/3 and TGF-β1 and increasing Smad7 [73], while in DN patients EGB has been proven to retard early DN development through decreasing serum sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 levels [72].