The ELISA results revealed that compared with untreated rats, an evident rise in the production of proinflammatory cytokines including IL-1β (Fig. 2a, d) and IL-6 (Fig. 2b, e), and chemokine MCP-1 (Fig. 2c, f) was observed in the serum and renal cortex of STZ-induced DN rats. Here, IL1B is linked to liver dysplastic nodule.