TNF and diabetic kidney disease: The levels of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the serum (Fig. 4A) and kidneys (Fig. 4B and 4C) of DKD mice were higher than those in Control group (P < 0.05); moreover, the NF-κB mRNA level in DKD mice was obviously greater than that in Control group (Fig. 4B, P < 0.001).