In the Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DN model in rats, urinary SMAD1 excretion was strongly correlated with the severity of expansion of the mesangial matrix (Matsubara et al., 2006)and can be used to predict the effect of angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker treatment on the expansion of the mesangial matrix in DN (Mima et al., 2008). Here, SMAD1 is linked to liver dysplastic nodule.