SMAD3 and diabetes mellitus: The above findings highlighted that GDF-10 could reduce blood glucose, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in DM rats and promote the expression of VEGF, TGF-β1 and Ang-1 to accelerate wound healing in DFU via activation of the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway; the therapeutic effect could be reversed after treatment with the Smad inhibitor SIS3.