The results suggest that BAI-LZM better ameliorates renal impairment, metabolic disorder and renal fibrosis than BAI alone in rats with DN, and the potential regulatory mechanism likely involves inhibiting inflammation via the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway, inhibiting extracellular matrix accumulation via the transforming growth factor-β/Smad3 pathway and regulating cell proliferation via the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1/IGF-1 receptor/p38 Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Here, SMAD3 is linked to metabolic disease.