Emodin at 10–40 μM even inhibited the proliferation of aggravated renal mesangial cell (RMCs), which was another pathological character in the early onset of DN, and stimulated cell cycle arrest at G1 phase by rising levels of Bax, caspase-3, cleaved caspase-3, caspase-6 and caspase-8 in rat RMCs line (HBZY-1) [181]. Here, CASP3 is linked to liver dysplastic nodule.