TGFB1 and liver dysplastic nodule: A meta-analysis comprising 25 studies showed that Astragalus injection had more therapeutic effect in DN patients such as decreasing BUN, Scr, and urine protein and improving Ccr and serum albumin level [63], and rebalancing TGF-β/Smad signaling could be a potential mechanism to prevent DN in KK-Ay mice [64]. Astragalus may protect diabetic rats kidney mediated by downregulation of Tie-2 [110], and radix astragali was reported to upregulate c-met expression in human kidney fibroblasts to delay the progression of DN [65].