Name Origins Methods Results Pathways CHYS Radix astragali, Dioscorea nipponica, radix bupleuri, Angelica sinensis, Pyrrosia petiolosa, Polyporus umbellatus , and Hirudo nipponica Type 1 diabetic animal study (STZ + nephrectomized rat)Inhibiting 24 h proteinuria and progressive renal fibrosis (glomerulosclerosis index, tubulointerstitial fibrosis index, and upregulation of ECM), upregulating Smad7, and downregulating TGF-β 1, TGF-β R, Smad3 activation, and miRNA-21 [20 ] CRCC Rhizoma coptidis, Kudzu root, dwarf lilyturf, and loquat leaf Type 1 diabetic animal study (STZ induced rats)Reducing FBG, BUN, Cr, Upro levels and TGF-β 1, and collagen IV expressions and alleviating pathological lesions of kidney Through TGF-β 1 pathway [21 ] CST Radix astragali, fructus ligustri lucidi,Rhizoma zedoaria , and honeysuckle Type 1 diabetic animal study (STZ induced rats)Decreasing urine mAlb, Scr, BUN, Glu, TG, and TC [22 ] DBT Angelica sinensis and Astragalus membranaceus Type 1 diabetic animal study (STZ induced rats) Attenuating the increases in blood glucose, TG and CHO, and TGF-β 1 expression in kidney Through TGF-β 1 way [23 , 24 ] Cellular study (mesangial cells)Inhibit cell proliferation and expression of LN, FN, and collagen IV DSS Radix Paeoniae Alba, radix Angelica sinensis, rhizoma Chuanxiong , Poria cocos , rhizoma Atractylodis macrocephala ,and Alismatis rhizome Type 1 diabetic animal study (STZ induced rats)Decreasing FBG and attenuating AGEs expression in diabetic glomeruli Through modulating oxidative stress via AGEs expression [25 ] FXST SanQi, DanShen, XuanShen, and HuangQi Type 2 diabetic animal study (HFD + STZ induced rats)Preventing glomerular hypertrophy and mesangial matrix expansion Through regulating oxidative stress [26 ] HJG Rehmanniae radix, Corni fructus, Dioscorea rhizome, Hoelen, Alismatis rhizome, Moutan cortex, Cinnamomi cortex, and Aconiti tuber Type 1 diabetic animal study (STZ + nephrectomized rat) Reducing blood glucose and urinary protein excretion and increasing creatinine clearance, ameliorating oxidative stress and AGEs formation associated with DN, and preventing the development of renal lesions including glomerular sclerosis, tubulointerstitial lesions, mesangial expansions, and atherosclerosis Inhibiting AGEs formation and sorbitol levels in kidney [27 ] Type 1 diabetic animal study (WBN/Kob rats) Preventing diabetic kidney damage Reducing renal oxidative injury and expression of FN/TGF-β 1 proteins [28 , 29 ] HLBW Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (TFG ) and Psoralea corylifolia L. (PC )Type 2 diabetic animal study (HFD + STZ induced rats)Improving hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and proteinuria Through attenuating renal oxidative stress via PKC-α /NADPH oxidative pathway [31 ] LDP Rehmannia glutinosa, Cornel (manufactured), Moutancortex, Yam , Poria cocos , and Alisma Human study (DN patients)Improving symptoms and signs of DN, inhibiting EAR activity, lowering UAER levels, β 2 -microglobulin in blood, and urine, and relieving DN [32 , 33 ] Oryeongsan Poria, Alismatis rhizoma, Polyporus umbellatus (Pers.) Fries, rhizoma Atractylodis macrocephala , and Ramulus Cinnamomi CassiaeType 1 diabetic animal study (STZ induced rats)Decreasing plasma glucose, UAER, and Ccr, attenuating mesangial matrix expansion, and downregulating increased NF-κ B, TGF-β 1 expression, elevated AGEs, and FN accumulation Through attenuating increased NF-κ B and TGF-β 1 expression [34 ] Type 2 diabetic animal study (db/db mice)Decreasing TC and TG, improving blood glucose, insulin, glucose tolerance, and HOMA-IR, Ccr, urine albumin, and BUN, and reducing TGF-β 1, Smad2/4, collagen IV, CTGF, and TIMP Through disturbing the TGF-β 1/Smads pathway [35 ] QJC Radix astragali, Hirudo, Rehmannia root, and rhizoma Polygonati Human study (DN patients)Decreasing SBP and DBS, increasing ALB, and slowing down the increase of Scr and decrease of eGFR [36 ] QWG Radix astragali, radix Rehmanniae, Euonymus alatus , and Rhubarb Type 2 diabetic animal study (KK-Ay mice)Alleviate renal pathological changes and decreasing TGF-β 1 expression Through inhibiting TGF-β 1 expression [37 ] SKW Radix astragali, Herba Leonuri Type 1 diabetic animal study (STZ induced rats) Protecting renal function Through increasing NO and decreasing TGF-β 1 excretion; affecting podocytes special proteins expression [38 ] Type 1 diabetic animal study (STZ induced rats) Alleviating morphological damage of kidney Through reducing Ang II in plasma and kidney and inhibiting renal AT(39 ] Cellular study (mesangial cells)Suppressing FN secretion Through TGF-β 1 way [38 ] SQABC Radix astragali and Salvia miltiorrhiza Type 1 diabetic animal study (STZ induced rats)Reducing 24 h UP excretion and improving reabsorption function Through enhancing antioxidative activity and upregulating megalin [40 , 41 ] Cellular study (NRK-52E cells)Protecting HG injured NRK-52E cells and improving protein uptake TSF Astragalus, raw Rehmannia root, sanchi root, euonymus branchlet, rhubarb, bitter orange, anddogwood fruitHuman study (DN patients)Regulating and improving phospholipids metabolism Through inhibiting PKC pathway and reducing phospholipids metabolism; improving in vivo hypomethylation and oxidative stress [42 , 43 ] Type 2 diabetic animal study (db/db mice)Upregulating JAK1, JAK2, and STAT3 and downregulating STAT4 Regulating the JAK/STAT/SOCS pathway [44 ] TSL Radix astragali, radix Rehmannia, leech, bile south star, Artemisia anomala, and Ze lan Type 1 diabetic animal study (STZ + nephrectomized rat)Decreasing ECM components Through downregulating TGF-β 1 and TIMP-2 and upregulating MMP-2 expression [45 ] TXL Scorpion, leech, Centipede, groundbeetle, Cicada, Borneol, radix paeoniae rubra, and ginseng Human study (DN patients)Improving renal function, repairing the renal tubular interstitial damage, and delaying the progression of DN Through reducing plasma ET-1 and UAER [46 ] Cellular study (HKCs)Lowering miRNA-21 expression in tissue, serum, and cells, increasing E-cadherin and decreasing α -SMA expression, and decreasing collagen IV and FN and increasing Ccr
Through regulating miRNA-21-induced EMT [47 ] Type 2 diabetic animal study (KK-Ay mice)Reducing TGF-β 1 and Smad3 expressions, restoring Smad7, decreasing collagen IV, FN,and 24 h UAER, BUN, and increasing Ccr XCHT Radixbupleuri, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi radix, Panax ginseng, Pinellia ternata tuber, Glycyrrhiza glabra , Ginger slice, and Zizyphus vulgaris Lam. fructus Type 1 diabetic animal study (STZ induced rats)Cellular study (mesangial cells)Decreasing the expression of TGF-β 1, FN, and collagen IV and increasing BMP-7 expression Through decreasing oxidative stress and productions of TGF-β 1, FN, and collagen IV [48 ] XKG Radix astragali, Mountain Cornus , leech, and winged euonymus twig Type 1 diabetic animal study (STZ + nephrectomized rat)Decreasing fasting blood pressure and urinary protein in 24 hrs Through downregulating TGF-β 1 expression [49 , 50 ] Cellular study (mesangial cells)Inhibiting high glucose induced RMC proliferation XXD Radix et rhizoma rhei, rhizoma coptidis, and radix Scutellaria Type 2 animal studies (HFD + STZ induced rats, db/db mice)Attenuating albuminuria and renal pathological changes, reducing AGEs, and inhibiting RAGE and inflammation factors expression Through downregulating NF-κ B pathway and reducing renal AGEs and RAGE [51 , 52 ] XZT Radix astragali, radix Rehmannia , fructus ligustri lucidi, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, rhizoma coptidis, dodder weed, fairy spleen, and Salvia miltiorrhiza Type 1 diabetic animal study (STZ induced rats)Decreasing blood glucose and HbA1C, improving renal function, ameliorating proteinuria, and reducing glomerular extracellular matrix expansion Through inhibiting AGEs accumulation and RAGE mRNA levels renal cortex [53 ] ZDP Rhizoma anemarrhenae, cortex phellodendri, radix Rehmannia preparata, rhizoma dioscorea , fructus corni, Moutan cortex, Alismatis rhizoma, and Poria Type 1 diabetic animal study (STZ induced rats)Ameliorating DN Through inhibiting glucose and lipid metabolism and enhancing methylamine metabolism [54 ] ZHM Sargassum and rhizoma rheiCellular study (human mesangial cells)Preventing the process of DN Through decreasing TGF-β 1 and collagen IV expression [55 ] ZQR fructus ligustri lucidi, eclipta Prostrata, and Dioscorea opposita Type 2 diabetic animal study (HFD + STZ induced rats)Inhibiting TGF-β 1 and FN overexpression in the renal cortex Through inhibiting SREBP-1c overexpression and its target [17 ] ZSTL Raw Astragalus , Angelica , safflower, zedoary turmeric, dodder, radix Rehmannia , dogwood, Poria , Epimedium , earthworm, and Schisandra Human study (DN patients)Improving HbA1c and FBG, TC, TG, UAER, Scr, ANP, ET-1, and VEGF Through modifying ANP, ET-1, and VEGF [56 ]
