SMAD2 and renal fibrosis: Moreover, for CLP-intoxicated rats, treatment with Nebivolol significantly suppressed the renal upsurge in protein expression of TGF-β1, p-Smad2/3, and α-SMA, as well as reduced the gene expression of p53, suggesting that Nebivolol could inhibit renal fibrosis in septic rats through the attenuation of TGF-β1/Smad2/3/p53 signaling pathway which stimulates EMT process.