The mechanism of HDHW ameliorating renal fibrosis may be that HDHW inhibits autophagy by upregulating IGF-1 expression, promoting the binding of IGF-1 to IGF-1R, and activating the autophagy-related pathway PI3K/Akt/mTOR, which in turn attenuate renal fibrosis (Figure 8). Here, AKT1 is linked to renal fibrosis.