Tang and colleagues[16] have observed that the Huopu Xialing decoction can protect the kidney of DKD rats by inhibiting the expression of the transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) signaling pathway and increasing the expression of nephrin and podocin in podocytes, thus reducing podocyte apoptosis. This evidence concerns the gene TGFB1 and diabetic kidney disease.